Milking it: Farmers welcome £127m boost as Japan lifts ban on British beef
Scottish farmers have welcomed the opportunity to export products to pastures new, after hearing Japan is to scrap its 23 ban on British beef.
It is thought the move will leave the industry £127m better off over the next five years.
Read more: Japan lifts 23-year ban on British beef after fears of mad cow disease finally put to rest
Japan banned imports of UK beef in 1996 after an outbreak of mad cow disease, medically called bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).
Thought to cause the fatal Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob (VCJ) disease in humans, the outbreak devastated the British farming industry in the 1990s with more than four million cattle slaughtered to stop its spread.
But the National Farmers Union (NFU) said today British farmers stood to gain from Japan’s lifting of the ban, especially those in Scotland whose products have European Protected Geographic Indication (PGI).
The announcement came on the eve of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s meeting with Prime Minister Theresa May today.
President of NFU Scotland, Andrew McCornick, said: “Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb are world-famous products which deservedly command a premium and are both underpinned by PGI designation which protects them from imitation.
“Clearly there will be market opportunities in Japan for high value, high quality beef and lamb backed by the unique provenance that Scotland has to offer.
“While our primary focus is on our home market where we enjoy strong continued support from Scottish and British shoppers who value locally-sourced food, tapping into luxury markets abroad can drive much needed added value into the livestock sector.”
Read more: UK export growth contracts for first time since 2015
Abe’s visit comes months before Britain leaves the EU in March. The bloc sealed a free trade agreement in December, which sees Japan’s tariffs on European beef imports reduce from 28.5 per cent to nine per cent over the next 15 years.
If Britain struck a similar deal after leaving the EU, the announcement would present even more export opportunity for UK beef farmers.
Downing Street said the sector would gain £127m over the next five years from exports.