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In the period of less than a year since the European
Union's shackles on Britain's ability to export cattle and beef were
undone in May
2006, breeders and exporters have responded to the challenge of rebuilding
the export business. Already some 1000 breeding cattle have been
exported
to European destinations, worth some £1 000 000 (about 2 000
000 US dollars) to our cattle industry. This is vital 'new money'
to the sector that has been missing for 17 years.
The Aberdeen-Angus breed is currently leading the export league tables
with some 300 head, Holstein-Friesians and Limousins are next. But the
breeds exported so far, as with semen exports, illustrate the amazing
genetic diversity in Britain and include Bazardaise, Charolais, Dairy
Shorthorn, Dexter, Galloway, Gascon, Hereford, Highland, Longhorn, Red
Angus, Salers, South Devon and Simmental.
However, Britain has a long way to go to get near to the business being
done by countries such as Austria, France, Germany and Holland who are
and have each been exporting tens of thousands of cattle a year. Britain
is disadvantaged in a competitive business by a strong sterling, the
costs and inconvenience of sea crossings and longer distances to haul
cattle to markets in Eastern and Central Europe, but it can offer new
blood lines, genetic diversity and consistent, quality stock.
BLG's members look forward to more countries agreeing
cattle import certification with the UK. Switzerland agreed certification
at an early
stage, it is an important destination outside the European Union for
breeding cattle. Rwanda has shown the way to other countries in Africa
by being the first to agree cattle import certification; British livestock
are destined to play an important role with their Government and the
Send a Cow charity (www.sendacow.org.uk) in
breed improvement programmes.
As ever, contact us at www.britishlivestockgenetics.com with your enquiries.
[27 March 07]
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