No more beef over Latin American imports

The European Parliament held a debate on the question of food imports from the Latin American countries in the "Mercosur" group to the EU.

MEPs obliged the Commissioner for Trade, Karl de Gucht, to attend the Chamber by lodging Parliamentary Questions on the revelation the Commission had recommenced negotiations over a proposed EU-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement.

The Commissioner assured MEPs that "nothing is on the table, no agricultural offers have been made" and that "the Commission has no intention to negotiate any of our health and safety requirements".

Expressing his satisfaction, Scottish Beef Cattle Association President John Cameron commented: "It appears that the Commission now recognises that beef imports from countries whose standards fall short of EU requirements and consequently affect our price will not be tolerated".

SNP MEP Alyn Smith said: "We gave the Commission a bloody nose on Brazilian beef and we will keep a close eye on this too".

Market round-up

John Swan Ltd conducted the dispersal of the Billiemains Herd of beef cows and calves in St Boswells on Thursday.

104 cows with calves sold to a top of £1500 and averaged £1190. 24 heifers with Blonde cross calves sold to £1300 and averaged £1139, while 25 heifers that had run with a Blonde bull sold to £880 and averaged £841.

United Auctions sold 1405 prime lambs at Stirling on Thursday to a top of £85/head and 186p/kg to average 160.8p.

There were also 546 cast ewes and rams forward with ewes selling to £106.50 for Texels, £93.50 Suffolks, £88.50 Mules and £69.50 for Cheviots.

The Cumberland and Dumfriesshire Farmers Mart had a larger show of 2635 prime lambs at Longtown on Thursday that sold to a top of £90 and 187p.

Light lambs sold to 180p and averaged 170.1p, standard lambs to 187p and averaged 163.6p, medium weights to 175 and an average of 162.2p, heavyweights to 169p and an averaged of 153.9p, while overweight lambs sold to 158 p and averaged 144.9p.

An excellent show of 5214 cast ewes and rams met a similar trade on the week.

Heavy ewes sold to £128.50 for Texels and averaged £74.62, while light ewes sold to £79.50 for Cheviots and averaged £43.90. Cast rams averaged £81.64.