Precarious UK beef industry cannot allow any more potentially disastrous OCDS mistakes
UK - If more care is not taken over the delivery of pre-August 1996 born cows to their correct outlet the UK could lose both its beef export markets and the best chance it has of encouraging more competitive bidding for its underpriced finished cattle.“When the export market was re-opened last May the UK industry promised that all cattle born before the end of July 1996 would be processed through the Older Cattle Disposal Scheme (OCDS) and none would enter the food chain,” explained NBA chairman, Duff Burrell.
“However despite earlier, and repeated, advice that this rule was being broken the number of OCDS cattle turning up at food chain abattoirs is increasing, rather than decreasing, and with this comes the possibility of a hostile, and unwelcome, EU response.”
“It is amazing that four to six pre-August 1996 born cattle a week, some 250 in total since last May, are still being discovered by the check system in place at commercial abattoirs. The European Commission has already been alerted because one carcase entered the food system towards the end of last year and UK traders were embarrassed by the huge, and expensive, product recall that had to be set in operation.”
Source: Farming UK