Russia ban on Pigs, Cattle, Sheep, Goats

Posted on: 28/03/2012

The EU has criticised Russias ban on importing pigs, cattle, sheep and goats from the EU over the Schmallenberg virus and said it will use "all opportunities" to ensure the ban is lifted.
Russia has outlawed the imports due to an outbreak of the Schmallenberg virus, which causes stillbirths and deformed offspring. Shipments of animals from Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy and Luxembourg to other countries via Russia were halted on Mar 16.
EU exports of pigs, cattle, sheep and goats to Russia were worth �188m last year, and �75m of shipments are affected by the ban, the commission said.

Russia�s food-safety watchdog, known as Rosselkhoznadzor, said yesterday that EU shipments of processed animal protein that is added to the feed of reproductive animals, as well as feed containing protein of European origin, will be prohibited as of Mar 26.

The ban is due to risks of transition of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also known as mad cow disease.