Renate Künast at the German meat industry

BSE tests under 24 months pointless - check between 24 and 30 months - quality is an opportunity for the meat industry

At the joint annual conference of VdF and BVDF, Renate Künast announced a review of the current BSE test practice, described the tests for young cattle still required by the trade (and Bärbel Höhn) as pointless and encouraged the German meat industry:

Speech by the Federal Minister for Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture, Renate Künast

Occasion:
Annual meeting of the Association of the German Meat Industry eV and the Federal Association of the German Meat Industry eV

Date:
07 May 2004
 
Location:
Berlin, Hotel InterContinental

Subject:
BSE and the consequences _ how did we manage to restore trust, how do we manage to secure trust

Dear Mr. Köhne!
Dear Mr. Hartl!
Dear Mr. Ms. Roth Behrendt
Ladies and gentlemen!

If you open the newspapers these days, you will find burning questions everywhere:

How is the German meat market developing? Where are the prices going? Are we well positioned in the EU 25?

Anyone who saw or experienced the celebrations of the EU enlargement last weekend felt how much confidence and hope is being placed in this historic political house of 25 states.

As an entrepreneur, you naturally also ask yourself:

What are the consequences of the second historical component, economic expansion: with 450 million consumers, the largest single market in the world is being created here. I deliberately say "emerging", because this market is only at the beginning of its development. Those who have the right offers and concepts now will be ahead tomorrow. I know that German agriculture and the German meat industry will have an important say in this.

But before I really get into the topic, I would first like to convey my congratulations. Mr. Härtl, a few weeks ago you received the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.

The justification states that you have rendered outstanding services to agriculture and meat quality. That you

• for equal competitive conditions in Germany and the EU
• for uniform hygiene standards and
• have implemented a cross-stage quality network.
• In addition, you are in education, training and further education
• and also engaged in science.

Mr Hartl,

congratulations on this award! These are exactly the qualities that consumers appreciate! Since BSE, this is truer than ever!

Ladies and gentlemen,

You all know it from your own experience: since the BSE, the meat market has developed into an extremely trustworthy market.

For the meat industry, BSE had devastating, even existence-threatening proportions. But even today we still feel the aftermath of the BSE crisis:

For the past few years, we have almost had to talk about scandal hopping for meat prices, with slumps and recoveries like in hot stock market times.

And BSE has spread widely. Suddenly there was fear among consumers and a new question: Is what I'm eating even safe anymore?

A lot has happened since then.

First of all, the protection of people had absolute priority. We have given consumer health protection a higher priority and put it on a new footing - nationally and throughout Europe.

The federal government did not take the measures to combat the disease on its own. Rather, we made it clear at the time that the reorganization of food safety must be supported by all actors in the food chain.

The magic hexagon was an expression of this new policy.

At that time, we created the political and institutional framework for recognizing the signs of a crisis earlier and taking the necessary crisis management measures more quickly.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The main task is to restore consumer confidence in the market! A very important requirement was and is therefore to create more transparency for the consumer, in every part of the production chain, starting in the fields and in the stables, through further processing to retail.

A lot has happened in the area of ​​controls in particular and I would like to emphasize this clearly: Not least thanks to your support!

How we will proceed with the BSE rapid tests in future will be discussed in the coming months. It comes down to two questions:

• Do tests under 24 months make sense?
• Can the age limit for BSE tests for slaughter cattle be raised to the EU-wide 30 months?

Regarding the first question, I would like to emphasize that my company and the scientists who deal with BSE testing have repeatedly and clearly stated their position here. In view of the sensitivity of the tests available today, testing animals under the age of 24 months brings no gain in knowledge and no gain in consumer protection.

The decision to voluntarily continue to carry out such tests or not is a decision that the economy must make itself.

The question of whether slaughter animals are tested from the age of 24 or 30 months, on the other hand, has a different dimension. Here it cannot be completely ruled out that a positive animal will be found with the tests currently available - even if the probability is low.

The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment comes to the conclusion, and I quote: "that if BSE tests are not carried out on slaughter cattle between 24 and 30 months, the risk of infection for the consumer will probably increase to a very small extent, which cannot be expressed in numbers."

Ladies and gentlemen,

Let's carefully examine and evaluate the scientific results. From the beginning of 2005 it can be assumed that cattle that are not older than 30 months at the time of slaughter were no longer fed with feed contaminated with BSE pathogens. This should be reflected in the BSE statistics in the course of 2005. From my point of view, there is a lot to be said for these animals to wait for reliable and up-to-date numbers before making a decision to make a change.

I will discuss this question again in detail with our research institutes in the near future before I make a suggestion as to how to proceed after January 1.1.2005st, XNUMX.

Once again: we should not unnecessarily jeopardize the safety and trust of consumers, in the interests of all of us. Because trust is the greatest market advantage.

Ladies and gentlemen,

In addition to health protection, there is another major task ahead of us:

We have to get people to value food again as a "means of life".

We are all trying to achieve this goal together with ambitious hygiene and control regulations. But that's definitely not enough. It is also important to convey to people that the value chain in the food sector actually creates value.

Specifically: the picture of food production is crooked. For many people today, agriculture is synonymous with high subsidies, non-marketability and surplus production.

This picture needs to be adjusted. The reform of the common agricultural policy is the right instrument for this. Because with the new funding principles, services can now also be rewarded that have a social value and are of great importance in the eyes of the majority of citizens: e.g. animal and environmental protection, landscape conservation, alternative raw materials and energy sources.

That is why we need this agricultural reform. And that's why she has no alternative. Of course, this will have an impact, also on the meat market:

• Structural change is likely to take place in the beef sector in particular: the new premium system geared towards competitiveness will lead to a decline in cattle farming in Germany in the medium and long term. However, assessments of this differ widely. While our scientists expect a decline of between 15% and 20% over the long term, the market is going the other way right now. The main reason for this reaction is that farmers want to be in a good position before introducing decoupling. In the medium to long term, however, we expect a reduction in generation due to a stronger focus on the market. Of course, a lot will change with the new funding system.
• The competitive situation for pig farming is more likely to improve, even if the ups and downs of the pig cycle will remain.

I would like to once again urge your support for this reform. The agrarian reform is a paradigm shift that has no alternative. Because the agricultural reform will ensure the sustainability of agriculture. Now those farmers who want quality over quantity can be rewarded.

The agrarian reform creates:

• more justice in agricultural subsidies,
• more food safety, environmental and animal welfare,
• more planning security and
• brings agriculture back into the mainstream of society - and that's where it belongs, after all!

The agricultural reform takes a big step towards more competitiveness.

And for Germany it is clear: we will not be able to win the competition for the cheapest meat.

But: The competition for the best meat - we can win it!

Even if meat consumption in this country is still declining slightly, new markets for high-quality meat will emerge worldwide in the next few years:

• On the one hand, I'm thinking of the European market. Because with growing prosperity and growing purchasing power in these countries, there will also be a growing demand for food products from the premium sector.
• Of course, I am thinking in particular of the Chinese market. This week the Federal Chancellor, together with the Chinese Prime Minister, confirmed the goal of doubling the German-Chinese trade volume to 2010 billion euros by the year 100.

I myself will be traveling to China in the fall and will personally campaign for the lifting of the import ban on German meat.

Ladies and gentlemen,

There is potential in the German meat market. Whether for steaks, roasts or convenience products, what counts is the quality.

You have the quality advantage. Now it is important to use this advantage. And to advertise with your quality.

More effort, commitment and performance pays off. Today, more than ever, it is important to convince consumers and win them over to your products.

If you want to sell your products, you have to convey to consumers that they get more. This "more", ladies and gentlemen, is and was quality for the German meat industry!

Source: Berlin [bmvel]