TheBeefSite Newsletter - 7 Decemeber 2011

Welcome to this week's newsletter

Editorial: Mercosur Deal Will Hit EU Agriculture Hard

Any trade deal with Mercosur countries will leave EU agricultural producers out of pocket, particularly affected are EU beef producers.

This is the outcome of an analysis made by the European Commission, which says that Mercosur producers would gain from any such deal, as would EU consumers.

The EC looked at a number of scenarios, which involve tariff abolitions or reduction by both parties, and changes to tariff-rate quotas.

Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) Deputy President Harry Sinclair said: “The latest figures published in the EC impact assessment paint a bleak picture for the EU beef industry. It is being estimated that beef prices could drop almost five per cent, while overall beef production would drop 2.8 per cent."

Beef imports could increase between 5000 tons to 524000 tons, depending on what deal is reached. In the worst case scenario, the total volume of meat production lost is 600000 tonnes, valued at €5.8 billion.

According to the analysis the gains to the EU manufacturing industry could outweigh the losses to the EU agricultural sector. Can the EU really be that dismissive towards EU agriculture?

Agriculture in the EU employs over 10 million people. If this is threatened, how does that bode for an already fragile EU economy?

Charlotte Johnston

The BeefSite Book Focus

	Cattle Ailments Now in its seventh edition, Cattle Ailments â€“ Recognition and Treatment features a concise, clear text built around a large number of specially taken colour photographs. Order Now Online
	Nutrition and Feeding of Organic Cattle Nutrition and Feeding of Organic Cattle provides a comprehensive summary of ruminant digestive processes and nutrition. Order Now Online

Genus - Value through science and genomics

This Week's Feature Articles

We have 4 new features this week:

Optimistic Outlook For UK Beef Sector
With beef prices at record highs, optimism in the UK beef industry is growing. However climate change and consumer perceptions are two challenges reports Charlotte Johnston, TheCattleSite editor.

Assessment Of EU/ Mercosur Free Trade Agreement
After speculation over the impacts of a free trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur, this report presents the official impact assessment by the European Commission. It concludes that any deal with Mercosur would leave EU producers out of pocket.

Risks for Animal and Public Health Related to the Presence of Alternaria Toxins in Feed and Food
Fungi in the family, Alternaria, produce mycotoxins in a range of plants that include cereals and oilseeds. Following a study of the possible adverse effects of Alternaria mycotoxins on the health of humans, farm animals and pets, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) was unable to rule out the possibility of some types of toxin causing problems in chickens, the only species of farm animals for which some toxicity data suitable for risk assessment exist.

Ten Steps To Buying The Right Bull
Dr Scott P. Greiner, Extension Animal Scientist at VirginiaTech college outlines the 10 important steps to guide you through the process of buying a bull.