Parish to help resume Brazilian exports to EU

Neil Parish MEP, chairman of the European Parliament's Agriculture Committee, and currently leading an EU delegation to Brazil to look at beef production, has praised the quality of Brazilian beef and plans to assist its return to European markets.

Parish, formerly a fierce opponent of Brazilian beef exports who has called for an outright ban, was in conciliatory mood at the Brazilian Agriculture and Farming Confederation this Monday at one of the first official meetings of the tour. "We are not here to question Brazilian beef's quality, which is truly very high, or your competitiveness," he said. "We are here to learn more about Brazilian agriculture and farming."

Speaking from the event, Brazilian Beef Exporters' Association (ABIEC) representative Leslie Sasson Cohen added: "He seemed very cooperative and said he was not here to audit Brazil, but to work together with us in order to resume exports.