MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Uruguayan organic beef for Britain.
The first ever twenty tons of European certified “organic beef” left from Montevideo for Briatin last Friday. Further shipments to Holland, Italy and United States will follow during February.
The official European Union "organic" certification of thirty Uruguayan farms in the northeast of the country was completed last July after an official delegation of Dutch inspectors confirmed the required conditions by the European protocol. The last six months were spent sorting out European burocratic papers.
According to Marcelo Costa from PUL, the farmers cooperative that has the official European certification and Pedro Bonino from the Uruguayan Agricultural Research Institute, INIA, this first container is the result of an initiative that begun a year ago.
"Actually its was our English customers who suggested we attempt the "organic" certification, and with the help of local officials and a presentation in the Royal Show we've finally managed to achieve it", indicated Mr. Marcelo Costa.
Mr. Costa said the cooperative has 500 full beef producing members and that in a second stage "we expect an additional one hundred farms to be officially certified". The thirty farms currently have a forty tons monthly capacity but "demand is ever increasing", added Mr. Costa. "Not only livestock is bred in "organic" conditions, but also the industrial process is is accordance with European specifications for a full organic certification", explained Mr. Bonino from INIA.
Mr. Bonino added that currently less than 1% of world beef trade is "organic", but this is expected to rapidly expand in a few years time to 7, 8%. "However beef consumption retraction in Europe, I'd say scare, is very serious and we'll have to convince people that this produce is also free of potential risks, and this will mean investing heavily in recovering public confidence", warned Mr. Bonino.
Both Mr. Costa and Mr. Bonino said the Dutch delegation was most surprised to see the natural conditions in which cattle breeds in Uruguay.
More information: http://www.inac.gub.uy
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