IFA: EU report a damning indictment of Brazilian beef auditing

THE Irish Farmers Association (IFA) has claimed that a new European Union report is a damning indictment of Brazilian beef auditing and traceability.

IFA president Padraig Walshe said the report by the Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) records ongoing failures by Brazil to meet EU standards.

He said Health and Consumer Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou is left with no choice but to de-list and throw out the entire 412 Brazilian farms incorrectly audited and cleared for export to the EU. “In an astonishing revelation, the FVO has told the European Commission that none of the Brazilian certifiers met during the mission had counted the animals or read ear tags during their visits to approve and inspect the holdings for export to the EU.

”With the exception of only one, none of the Brazilian auditors could provide the EU with documented proof for the findings on movements and traceability in their audit reports,” he said.

Mr Walshe accused the European Commission of blindly accepting new Brazilian farms onto the EU list, over recent weeks, when their own auditors were reporting illegal practices and significant deficiencies with the Brazilian audit and control system.

“It is incredible that the EU have accepted an increase in the number of Brazilian farms from 123 to 416 since early August, knowing the contents of this report,” he said

IFA Livestock chairman Michael Doran said the Brazilians were given their very last chance by the previous EU Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou to get their act together on traceability and standards for the EU.

“It is clear from the latest FVO report that traceability and movement controls are in a total shambles. The Brazilians have abused the opportunity they were given by the EU,” he said.

Mr Doran said the EU mission team identified omissions from the records of animal movements which had not been detected during the audit by the Brazilian authorities in over 25% of farms inspected.

“The Brazilian auditors even failed to show up at two holdings where the FVO mission team visited and had requested their presence,” he said.