WHERE'S THE BEEF?
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The threat to international livestock hauliers comes as their reefer counterparts are still reeling from the EU ban on carcass beef imposed in July.
It had an immediate effect, halving beef exports in August, according to the Meat and Livestock Commission. That trade is worth more than £300m a year to the UK and millions to hauliers. Transport companies subcontracting to British abattoirs were among the first to Feel the cutbacks.
Domestic demand is already taking up some of the slack but exports should recover steadily as MAFF certifies herds that have been free of BSE (mad cow disease) for the past six years. This process involves some 100,000 farms. Meat plants have to be equipped and staff trained to produce more bone-out beef: another of the new EU hygiene regulations intended to combat the spread of BSE.
The UK meat industry expects that the controls (said to be inspired by political manoeuvring rather than scientific evidence) will be relaxed after German elections in October, though there will be residual damage to the reputation of British beef.