Free up livestock trade to Scotland urges MEP
23 January 2007
Jim Allister MEP has urged DARD to do more to ensure that breeding and store livestock can be exported to Scotland. Jim Allister believes that there is no justification for the current 30 day pre movement rule prior to export and that this should be reduced to 6.
Jim Allister commented, “It is vital that there is an urgent change to the current rules for the exporting of live cattle to Scotland. Currently animals have to stay on a holding for 30 days prior to being exported to Scotland. There is no basis for this rule in EU legislation and I believe that it is in placed solely to restrict animals moving from Northern Ireland to Scotland. I have urged DARD to do more to ensure that this rule is relax to ensure that cattle can move to Scotland after a 6 day standstill.
What angers many farmers is the fact that Northern Ireland meat plants are importing thousands of beef cattle and lambs from Scotland and this is undermining the price paid for livestock finished in Northern Ireland. Farmers need to be able to export good quality store cattle out of Northern Ireland to higher value markets in Scotland. It is vital that there is an immediate change to the export rules for animals going to Scotland.
Jim Allister has also called on DARD to ensure that the work up rules to free up livestock exports to other Member States. “European officials were in the UK inspecting the controls for the export of cattle to other Member States last November. All indications suggest that this was a positive inspection and no major concerns were raised regarding the controls governing the export of cattle. It is vital that DARD now live up to commitments made by the previous Agricultural Minister Lord Rooker and amend the rules for the export of cattle. Northern Ireland farmers are currently being penalised due to DARD interpreting EU rules for the export of cattle differently than other Member States.
