991046 British Farmers Stage Beef ProtestOctober 16, 1999Plymouth, England - English farmers, angry at a French ban on British beef, staged a dockside demonstration at an English port and were threatening similar protests elsewhere on the coast. About 500 farmers rallied at Millbay Docks in Plymouth on England's southwest coast Monday night in response to France's refusal to lift its ban. They persuaded drivers of two trucks that came off a ferry not to deliver goods brought from France. “The frustration is building throughout the country,” said Richard Haddock, chairman of the Devon National Farmers Union. Haddock said farmers were watching ports in Kent and Dorset and were ready to take similar action there. Farmers also would continue to picket supermarkets in a bid to get French produce off the shelves, he said. While the European Union lifted its ban in August, the French government decided Oct. 1 to extend its ban on the beef it fears could be infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease. That infuriated Britain and the EU Commission, both of which have threatened legal action against France. On Monday, the French Food Safety Agency recommended that British beef be allowed to cross through France on its way to other countries as long as it is not unloaded in the country. The agency also reinforced its recommendation that British beef remain banned, following the discovery of two new cases of mad cow disease in France, the Agriculture Ministry said.
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