Anger over OTMS decison delay

BEEF INDUSTRY stakeholders have said they are dismayed by the Department of Health‘s decision to delay an announcement on when over 30-month scheme beef can be reintroduced into the food chain.

It had been hoped that an announcement would be made before the start of the summer recess (July 22), but those hopes were dashed. 

“All sectors of the beef industry, including ourselves, are surprised and disappointed,” said Robert Forster, chief executive of the National Beef Association.

“Farmers are being urged to embrace decoupling and move closer to the market, yet we are restrained from getting complete access to the market.”

In July 2003 the FSA recommended that over 30-month beef was ready for the market-place, this recommendation was again restated earlier this month.

A spokesman for the DoH said: “The situation on OTMS hasn‘t changed; we are still considering the FSA‘s recommendations.”

The DoH declined to comment on when an announcement would be made.

Campbell Tweed, president of the Ulster Farmers Union, pointed out: “Consumption levels are higher than ever, reflecting the public confidence in our product.

“Instead of gaining access to strong markets and making progress to the removal of the export ban, we are left with the totally unsatisfactory status quo.”

The UK imports 175,000t a year to a market worth about £250m a year to UK farmers.

Most of the imported meat is supplied by Eire, where the market rate is €2.13/kg deadweight (£1.42/kg DW).

In contrast the price paid by the Rural Payments Agency for OTM cows is £0.86/kg deadweight (€0.57/kg DW).