Politicians 'should be backing agricultural export industry'

Politicians should realise that encouragement of UK agriculture will not only provide home food security but could also help the country to economic recovery through increased exports.

That was the view yesterday from Henry Lewis of the British Livestock Genetics Consortium who compared the economic situation here with that in Brazil, where their government is supporting its farmers and livestock producers as a key driver in their economic recovery plan.

Lewis stated that livestock producers throughout the world recognised the qualities of British cattle, sheep and pigs and there was interest in the genetics held in this country.

However, export opportunities have been stifled in recent years through various animal health scares in the UK such as foot-and-mouth, BSE and latterly Bluetongue.

The legislative legacy and the damage to hard-won reputations from these still presented problems for exporters, often compounded by countries taking unilateral action and setting their own import regulations.

"Our problem was we dealt openly and transparently with BSE but other countries such as the United States with similar brain wasting diseases to BSE kept quiet and their exports were not affected," he said.

He also stated that this country suffered in the export trade because it did not resort to the use of "brown envelopes" of cash to help smooth business deals.

Some potentially massive export markets such as Russia and Indonesia have not opened up because they have erected health barriers beyond internationally agreed levels.

"Indonesia, with a population of over 200 million, could be a very good market for us but it has just imposed a three-year ban on imports because of the fear of foot-and-mouth disease." Despite these hurdles, several major breakthroughs in export trade have been achieved. A massive order for Texel sheep semen for Brazil came last year and Lewis believed this would be followed up with further orders from that country.

"They are looking for good terminal sires. Their sheep farmers have moved away from wool being the main income to one where they are now looking at meat production."

He indicated the Brazilians had initially sourced semen from the US but this had not produced the desired end result. "They are looking for good terminal sires from breeds such as Texels, Suffolks, Hampshires and Dorsets."

The British Livestock Genetics Consortium is also involved in promoting exports of meat and other animal by-products and Lewis said this latter trade was expanding, with products previously going into landfill now being exported. One example of this business was the current export of cattle feet to West Africa, he added.

Lewis will be speaking on export opportunities at the National Sheep Association event at Hexham on 8 June.