Calves shot following export ban

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At least 6,000 calves have been shot rather than exported after TB-infected livestock was sent to Europe from a UK farm, producers believe.

The National Beef Association said an unofficial ban imposed in mid-July by buyers in Holland and Belgium "could be the end of the export industry".

For security reasons the Worcestershire farm from which the infected calves originated has not been identified.

A Defra spokesman said that the unofficial boycott was unjustified.

Severe restrictions

NBA director Kim Haywood said the farmer who exported the infected calves cannot be held responsible as there is a "disease reservoir" in the UK.

She warned that unless the ban is lifted, "the majority of calves will have to be shot and the industry will face costs into the millions".

Two weeks have passed since the last shipment of calves to leave Britain, she added.

A ferry company which services the industry, Agri Shipping, has said it will not last long without the trade.

A spokesman for the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said that it regretted the decision by buyers to stage an unofficial boycott.

"There is a great deal of work being done by officials and the industry to provide reassurances to the Dutch and EU partners on this issue to allow resumption of trade whilst minimising the risks of exporting TB-infected animals," he said.

The industry is trying to rebuild after severe restrictions were imposed in 1996 during the BSE outbreak.