BSE still remains a problem for British beef market
Irish exporters and farmers have benefited significantly from the fall in EU beef self sufficiency to its lowest level since 1979, a trend set to continue and strengthen in 2004, unless the UK decides to lift its seven year old ban on beef from animals over 30 months old entering the food chain.
That decision may have to be delayed, because BSE is still being found in the UK in a worrying number of cattle aged over seven years.
In 1996, strict rules banning the recycling of livestock in feed to other farm animals were designed to eradicate BSE, which had spiralled out of control in the UK, peaking at 36,700 cases in 1992.
Now the number of cases per year is down to 500.
But 77 of them were in animals born after August 1996, 49 of them coming in the past 12 months, including eight in the past three weeks, a worrying trend for the UK scientists battling BSE.
They fear that BSE may hang on in the UK for years, due to a hidden route of infection. Their suspects include contaminated feed imports brought into Britain before Europe-wide controls were introduced in January 2001; very old feed stocks on British farms; unexplained transmission from cow to cow; or long-term contamination in the soil.
Although the UK may have to continue destroying its huge supply of over 30 months beef, some 15,000 cattle will be added annually to EU beef production, following the complete lifting of a ban imposed on Swiss beef in 1996.
France, Germany and Spain had already lifted the ban.
Switzerland was one of the countries worst affected by BSE, but had only 14 cases so far this year.
