MAJOR problems could be faced by abattoirs in Scotland if they are required to nominate plants to be used exclusively for export trade once the European beef ban is lifted, writes Robert Ross.
If abattoirs have to be wholly dedicated to exports from the start, it is unlikely that it would be economic for them to seek to re-enter the export market - totally undermining any hope of resuming beef exports.
The issue has been raised by the Scottish NFU in its response to the Government's proposals on a date-based export scheme, which has been ''reasonably well received''
in Brussels.
In a submission to the Scottish Office, Richard Henton, the union's livestock commodity director, warns that in the early days after the re-opening of the export market the demand for beef is unlikely to be sufficient to support dedicated plants.
''It is essential to avoid any requirement that to export, abattoirs must be dedicated entirely to that purpose,'' he said. ''It should be sufficient, in the first instance, to set aside, say, a given half-day to export production, with a view to extending that in time as export demand increases.''
Despite those reservations, the union has pledged its full support for the date-based export scheme. ''What we need now is some rapid progress so that it can be implemented as soon as possible,'' said NFUS president George Lyon.
''We also believe it can form the basis of a slow and controlled winding back of the over-30-months scheme which is having such a detrimental effect on both capital assets and incomes.
''The justification used to support the export of beef from cattle born after August 1, 1996 (that they could not have been exposed to contaminated feed), should also be used to exclude cattle born after that date from the OTMS. They ought to be re-integrated into the food chain, regardless of their age.
''Let us hope, now that the log-jam in Europe over the ending of the export ban seems to be moving, that we can see much more rapid progress. The re-opening of this market is essential to a worthwhile future for the beef industry.''
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article