Three additional conditions apply to slaughter animals that are exported and slaughtered abroad. Firstly, no case of bluetongue may have been reported on the farm of origin for 30 days. The animals must also be transported directly from the Member State to the slaughterhouse and the operator of the holding of origin must inform the slaughterhouse 48 hours in advance of the arrival of the animals.
Every year, 100,000 live cattle are exported to other European member states, but that export has now come to a standstill. If no foreign destinations are found for Belgian cattle in the coming weeks, prices on the domestic market are likely to drop significantly, the French-speaking cattle trade association FNCB (Fédération Nationale du Commerce de Bétail) reported on Sunday. “This situation comes at a bad time, as we are at the end of the grazing period and this is a season when traditionally more animals are sold,” said Benoit Cassart, secretary general of FNCB. “Belgium exports about one in four cattle. A brutal and prolonged interruption of export flows would have dramatic consequences for prices,” Cassart warns. He believes authorities should draw up protocols with their European counterparts that will allow trade to resume.
2023-10-16 17:52:17
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