The union's Livestock and LFA (Less Favoured Area) Boards have written to Wales' 32 MPs seeking their support in calls for the UK Government to mirror the European Union's decision to place a prohibition on Brazilian meat imports.
The letter highlights NFU Cymru members' concerns and frustrations at a perceived willingness of the UK Government to allow imports of food that would never meet the standards expected and required of Welsh farmers.
Hinder hard-fought progress
Members of the NFU Cymru Livestock and LFA Boards also fear that Brazilian meat imports could hinder hard-fought progress on animal and human health in the UK.
NFU Cymru has been meeting with MPs, the Wales Office and other UK Government Ministers since the EU ban was first announced in June of this year, raising significant concerns around Brazil's inability to wholly demonstrate responsible use of antibiotics within its livestock sectors, as well as questions over the robustness of its farm to fork traceability.
Industry-led initiatives
Through industry-led initiatives, such as the globally award winning Arwain Responsible Antimicrobial Use project the UK has reduced the sale of general on-farm antibiotics by 60% since 2014. whilst the use of antibiotics important to human health has been reduced by a further 83%.
The EU’s ban on Brazilian meat imports, which came into effect in September of this year, was driven by these concerns around traceability and antimicrobial issues, but subsequent audit reports published by the European Commission identified specific systemic weaknesses in the controls to verify compliance with EU requirements.
Crucially, even if the ongoing audit is passed, it is likely the ban would not be lifted until the end of 2027; leaving the UK’s domestic market open and prone to more than 90,000 tonnes of Brazilian beef originally destined for the EU.
Deeply concerned
NFU Cymru’s Livestock Chair Rob Lewis and LFA Chair Kath Whitrow wrote to Welsh MPs and Ministers, saying “It is deeply concerning that imported products could gain access to the UK market despite there being questions regarding the equivalence of standards, oversight arrangements or traceability systems.
“Furthermore, due to a lag in government data we cannot be sure of how much Brazilian beef exports originally intended for the EU prior to the ban has now made its way into the UK market. Our shared concern is that the distorted flow of Brazilian products into the UK, already putting additional pressures on Welsh farmers, will not be revealed until it is too late.
“We are therefore asking MPs to support us in calling on the UK Government to protect domestic food production and hard-fought progress on both animal and human health by introducing a ban on Brazilian meat imports until it can be sufficiently demonstrated that equivalent standards are being met and effectively enforced.”
