EU lifts ban on British meat, dairy exports

The EU has lifted a ban on British farmers exporting livestock, meat, and dairy products to the European Union. The ban was put in place after the recent foot and mouth outbreak. The ban will remain in effect in a six-mile surveillance zone around the two infected farms near Guildford in Surrey, but products from other farms in Britain can be exported as of this Saturday, the EU executive said. The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said it would also lift the country-wide ban on moving livestock outside the surveillance zone from midnight. As a precaution, however, animals will have to remain on the premises they are moved to for twwenty days unless the further movement is within five miles or direct to slaughter. The move is a big boost to the farming industry, which has been suffering estimated losses of £10 million a week while the ban was in force. Hilary Benn, the U.K. environment secretary, said the move demonstrated the confidence that the EU had in Britain’s disease control measures.

The first outbreak of the disease in a herd of cattle held in fields at Normandy, near Guildford, Surrey, was discovered just over a fortnight ago. A neighbouring herd tested positive days later. Both herds were slaughtered, together with a precautionary cull of animals kept nearby by a third farmer. Subsequent suspected outbreaks — two in livestock in Surrey and another in Kent — proved to be false alarms. Strict biosecurity measures in two-mile protection zones around the three Surrey farms will be lifted from noon tomorrow, Saturday.

Debby Reynolds, U.K. chief vet, has imposed a three-mile temporary biosecurity area around two animal health research laboratories at Pirbright near the three farms. An inquiry by the Health and Safety Executive into the origin of the outbreak has focused on the laboratories.