Brazilian beef ban battle renewed

FARMERS have renewed efforts to persuade the EU to ban imports of beef from Brazil because of worries about foot-and-mouth.

The disease is still rife two years after outbreaks were reported in three provinces and National Farmers' Union President Peter Kendall said research had shown serious shortcomings in cattle records kept in Brazil.

The country is the world's largest exporter of beef with more than 220 million head of cattle, some of it reared by slave labour on pasture ripped from former rain forest.

In contrast Wales has a breeding herd of roughly 233,000 beef cows and in-calf heifers – 14% of the UK total of 1,664,000

Australia, the United States, Japan and South Korea have all banned beef from Brazil and Russia has a limited ban in place. But last year Brazil exported 333,000 tonnes of beef to the EU, of which 30,000 tonnes came to the UK.