Ulster SRM demand
Ulster SRM demand
THE Ulster Farmers Union is demanding a full assessment of new rules on specified risk materials (SRMs) due to be implemented in the coming months.
Union president, Douglas Rowe, fears the rules could lead to two pools of cattle existing in Northern Ireland, requiring different treatment in the same abattoir or butchers shop. The problem has arisen because the European Union requires the removal of the vertebral column in cattle over 12 months old in most member states.
The rules – agreed in Brussels earlier this year – would trigger the reintroduction of a beef-on-the bone ban and an end to T-bone steaks.
The UK, along with four other member states, was exempted from this new legislation, on the strength of its existing BSE controls. But Eire was not.
"Many dealers in Ulster source their cattle from the British mainland and the Republic," said UFU beef specialist Ian Stevenson. "Our farmers also bring in stores from both origins.
"This could lead to a situation where cattle sourced from Great Britain do not have to have their vertebral columns removed, while those sourced from the Republic do. This could mean separation in the meat plants, leading to extra costs which would then be passed on to farmers."
The Northern Ireland Food Standards Agency is consulting on the issue. "It is vital that proper evaluation of the consequences of this legislation, both practical and financial, is undertaken urgently, before the industry is faced with another major headache," said Mr Rowe.
Eire has yet to implement its T-bone steak ban. It has applied for a derogation from Brussels and is still awaiting a reply. *