Meat lobbying group calls for EU support

The European Union's meat processing liaison group, Clitravi, has called on the European Commission for more support to boost the industry following foot and mouth disease, MeatNews​ reports. Clitravi has called on the European Commission to increase the level of refunds for manufactured products to help boost the industry following the difficulties the industry has faced over foot and mouth disease, BSE and pig meat prices. A spokesman for Clitravi said, "It will also be necessary for Community exporters to make additional efforts to recover lost markets following the ban on certain exports - a ban which we hope will be temporary. Some addition financial incentive is fully justified for manufactured products."​ Clitravi added that the ban on meat and bonemeal feed across Europe has increased costs for the industry by between one and 10 per cent. The association also said that meat and bonemeal feed ban for cattle has to be maintained and many members also believed the feed should be banned for other livestock. It has also called for an outright ban on the use of swill in feed. "The Commission made an attempt some 10 years ago to prohibit the use of swill feed. Under pressure from certain member states this idea was dropped and instead tighter processing rules were introduced." "Clitravi is of the view that the time has come to introduce an outright ban on this practice since it appears to have been incriminated both in recent Classical Swine Fever outbreaks and more recently in foot and mouth disease,"​ claimed the association. Source: MeatNews.com