MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Europe lifts ban to Uruguayan beef.

Uruguay is entitled to resume beef , mutton and lamb sales to the European Union as of next November following last week's decision by the E.U. Standing Veterinary Committee in Brussels.

Uruguayan beef was banned in Europe because an outbreak of foot and mouth disease that began in late 2000 and spread to several Mercosur members, finally struck the country last April.

Uruguayan officials hailed the European decision which should help the beef industry gradually begin to recover after six months of almost complete lack of activity.

The blow was particularly hard for Uruguay since beef has become the country's main export and represents foreign sales of over 500 million US dollars annually, besides the fact farmers were also banned from moving and selling cattle.

Europe's certification also means other countries and strong buyers of Uruguayan beef will also lift their ban: Israel, Chile and northern Africa.

However sales to Europe are now limited to boneless and matured beef since Uruguay lost its privileged pre-April condition of free of FAM without vaccination. Uruguay was declared free of FAM without vaccination in 1996.

Last May under strong pressure from farmers contrary to the sanitary rifle, and given the quick spread of FAM, Uruguay opted to vaccinate the whole 12 million cattle herd.

This means Uruguay will have to wait three years, and show an impeccable sanitary free of FAM report, before it can apply to recover its pre-April condition in the Paris located Epizooties Office.

Several European veterinary delegations visited Uruguay to monitor the situation between May and September.

As part of a confidence building strategy, Uruguay also announced that every quarter it will release a cattle "sanitary report" to its beef and lamb customers