NEWS

DARD accused of hindering beef sales to GB
By Chris McCullough

THE National Beef Association has called for a meeting with Northern Ireland chief vet Bert Houston to ask why DARD is demanding export certification on beef cattle being sent to Great Britain.
NBA Northern Ireland chairman Oisin Murnion says the ongoing price difference between Northern Ireland and the mainland is forcing farmers to send animals over to England for finishing and killing.
However, the NBA cannot understand why DARD has imposed export certification costs when Northern Ireland is part of the UK.
Mr Murnion said: "DARD is insisting that store cattle being moved into GB must meet export certification.
"This is a huge surprise because NI is part of the UK and moving livestock between one region of a country and another should be classed as an internal transfer, not export.
"Nevertheless, DARD is demanding that store cattle are tested for both TB and brucellosis within 30 days of the movement, which adds dramatically to both inconvenience and cost.
"The NBA will be asking the chief vet in Northern Ireland to justify this."

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November 6th 2009
October 30th 2009