333 tonnes of Botswana beef imports into Belfast labelled 'concerning'

333 tonnes of beef from the southern African nation of Botswana has entered the Belfast port so far this year
333 tonnes of beef from the southern African nation of Botswana has entered the Belfast port so far this year

The level of Botswana beef imports 'is concerning', with 333 tonnes coming through Belfast port so far this year, the Ulster Farmers' Union has said.

“Since this trade was first highlighted last year it has continued to grow,” UFU beef and lamb chairman, Crosby Cleland said.

“For beef producers hit by poor market prices for much of this year, this is a worrying level of beef coming from a source unlikely to have farm standards equivalent to those in Northern Ireland.”

Mr Cleland said that since food labelling and quality assurance have become big issues for consumers it was surprising so little is known about where this beef is sold.

Consumers are urged to seek out locally produced Farm Quality Assured beef
Consumers are urged to seek out locally produced Farm Quality Assured beef

He said those doing so were certainly not highlighting its origin.

“This makes it all the more important that environmental health officers and the Food Standards Agency keep a close eye on food businesses to make sure all controls are being met.

“For consumers, the best thing they can do is seek out locally produced Farm Quality Assured beef that local farmers have worked hard to produce to the high animal welfare and environmental standards consumers want,” he said.

In the context of Brexit, Mr Cleland said trade agreements will be a major area of debate.

He said farmers needed to be assured by political parties that agricultural interests will be fully represented at the negotiating table.

“There are concerns that the UK government may do deals to import food from countries that do not meet farm standards in place in the UK.

“This is the concept of equivalency. Not making this a condition of trade would be a disservice to consumers and the agri-food industry, which is a key part of the Northern Ireland economy,” he said.