020926 Britain to Resume Fresh Beef ExportsSeptember 20, 2002Merthyr Tydfil, Wales (AP) - Britain is to resume exports of fresh meat for the first time since the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in February 2001, the government said. Welsh Rural Development Minister Michael German said the first consignment of Welsh beef has been processed according to European Union rules implemented to ensure that no meat from diseased animals is exported. The meat will be sent to a major supplier in the Netherlands on Sept. 25, he said. "This is great news for a hard-pressed agriculture industry and signifies better times ahead," said German, who attended a ceremony where the meat was stamped for export. All exports of fresh meat from Britain were banned when the foot-and-mouth outbreak started. The European Union lifted the restrictions in July. There were more than 2,000 cases of the disease across Britain and over 4 million animals were slaughtered in a bid to stop its spread. No new cases have been reported for a year. Foot-and-mouth disease is harmless to humans but can cause wasting in cloven-hoofed animals such as cows, sheep and pigs.
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