LONDON - A plan to allow Britain to export beef from certified BSE-free herds was put to the EU yesterday by the British Agriculture Minister, Mr Douglas Hogg. He called the Export Certified Herds Scheme an important step along the road to getting British beef back on the world market.
"Britain has now fulfilled all five preconditions set out in the Florence Agreement to allow the progressive resumption of beef exports," he said. "These proposals will form the basis of early discussions towards a UK-wide lifting of the ban on export certified herds."
Mr Hogg said that he had today sent a letter to his European counterpart, Mr Franz Fischler, detailing Britain's plan. The scheme will especially apply to Northern Irish farmers, he added.
"There is a particularly strong case for direct relief in Northern Ireland," Mr Hogg said. "The scheme applies throughout the country, but because of higher traceability and the lower incidence [of BSE] in Northern Ireland, many herds will qualify there, in Great Britain there will be fewer."