EU to shift 600,000t of beef

By Tim Relf

MORE than 600,000 t of beef will be released from EU intervention stores over the next three years, according to Brussels beef expert, Thorkild Rasmussen.

But, with this years production surplus of about 350,000t expected to disappear next year, it should be possible to shift the stocks without too much disturbance to the commercial market, Mr Rasmussen said in London this week.

Part will be disposed of within the EU, including free food schemes and as raw material for processing, with the rest exported to Third countries.

“Its not our intention to sell at any price,” Mr Rasmussen told delegates at Meat and Livestock Commission Meat Outlook conference.

Without reform of the beef regime, however, new stocks would be accumulating again from 2002, possibly reaching 1.5m tonnes by 2005 – an absurd situation which could be avoided, said Mr Rasmussen.