Ministers unlikely to back easing of UK beef cull

THE British Minister for Agriculture, Mr Douglas Hogg, today faces a cool reaction from EU farm ministers when he appeals for a reduction of the British beef cull requirement in the face of new scientific evidence that it may not be necessary.

Speculation here has increased that if the British government fails to win support, it may turn its back on the planned selective cull, unilaterally repudiating the Florence heads of government agreement, and sacrificing what some see as its now notional external markets for the time being.

Commentators say that while England's farmers might not be hit too hard by such a move, those in Scotland and Northern Ireland, who are far more dependent on export markets, would be badly affected.

Asked about the possibility of making an exception of the North's certified BSE free herds, Mr Hogg again insisted that the Northern Ireland herd would not be treated separately. But, he said, it would certainly be the first to benefit from the lifting of the export ban.

Although Mr Hogg is trying to couch his request in terms of an implementation of the Florence' agreement rather than a modification, other member states do not share his view. The Minister for Agriculture, Mr Yates, told him as much when they met yesterday morning.

Speaking to the press Mr Yates said: "I am strongly of the view: that the Florence agreement represents the only real basis to get the export ban on Britain lifted. I think that to depart from that would only exacerbate a difficult situation."

Mr Hogg insisted that Britain had done more than enough to satisfy requirements: "The controls we have in place - and we have uniquely in place - both the 30 month rule and the controls we have over specified bovine material - mean that British beef can be eaten with complete confidence.

The ministers yesterday did not touch on the issue of BSE eradication which comes up this morning, but they did consider proposals from the Commission to rebalance the beef market.

These include controversial proposals for a slaughter programme of young calves to reduce the size of the European herd, agreed increases in beef premium payments, but no agreement on how to pay for the measures.

Meanwhile, the IFA has called on the EU to slaughter some of the 500,000 live head of cattle being imported from the countries of central and eastern Europe (CEECs) into the Union.

Speaking in Brussels the IFA president, Mr John Donnelly, said that at a time when EU beef was being forced into intervention it was unacceptable that imports would continue to flood the internal market.

The imports come in as part of the GATT agreement, so any attempt to curb them would require compensation to the CEECs.

Alternatively, they could be imported and then slaughtered.

A spokesman for the IFA said such an approach would share the burden of the crisis and require less slaughtering of national herds.

Meanwhile, Iran has lifted its embargo on French beef, the French Agriculture Ministry confirmed yesterday.

The ministry said an agreement between the Iranian and French veterinary services had been signed in Paris. Only beef from parts of France where no cases of BSE have been reported can be exported under the pact, the ministry said.

France is the first EU state to benefit from a relaxation of the ban.