SCOTLAND is on the verge of achieving ‘negligible risk’ status for bovine spongiform encephalopathy – the best possible international rating for the disease, and a major stepping stone back to export markets that have been closed to our beef industry since the 1990s 'mad cow' scare.

In light of the fact that there hasn't been a confirmed case of BSE here for 15 years, the Scottish Government has been pursuing the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) to reconsider Scotland's 'controlled risk' status for the disease, in parallel with similar moves by Northern Ireland's department of agriculture.

Responding to those calls, the OIE's Scientific Commission has now recommended that Scotland and Northern Ireland be recognised as areas of "negligible" BSE risk, a status improvement that will now be considered by the OIE's World Assembly in May.

Hailing this breakthrough, Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers president Allan Jess said that granting Scotland a clean bill of health was 'fully justified', and would have many potential benefits to the country's red meat sector.

“This is the highest recommendation which is available to any country, establishing a disease-free status which was first requested through a detailed paper setting out the case for change which SAMW submitted, and other Scottish meat and livestock organisations supported, to the Scottish Government in February 2016,” said Mr Jess. “Our initiative was the beginning of a process which is now set to deliver many major benefits for everyone involved in Scotland’s livestock and meat industry."

These benefits would, said Mr Jess, include an overall reputational gain from the resulting disease-free image, the removal of obstacles when negotiating access to new markets, and easier access to markets where some trade already exists.

Crucially, it would also create an international trading advantage over competitors from ‘controlled risk’ countries, including England, which has had more recent BSE cases and cannot yet apply for 'negligible risk' status.

Of particular relevance to abattoir operators, the status upgrade would do away with a whole suite of costly Specified Risk Material removal procedures, and the associated SRM disposal costs, as those materials once again offered "by product opportunities"

“We applaud the work done by the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Connectivity, Fergus Ewing, and his officials, in advancing and pursuing the ‘negligible risk’ case on the industry’s behalf and look forward to being free to trade under our new status by as early as the summer,” said Mr Jess.

The British Veterinary Association – and in particular its Northern Irish and Scottish branches – welcomed the progress towards negligible risk status in both countries.

BVA Northern Ireland branch president Jean Wales said: “This is a just reward for the efforts of the veterinary profession and others in the application of BSE controls over the years. While there will be continued need for controls and surveillance, this is good news for the NI agri-food industry and rural economy as new markets are sought for our produce.”

BVA president Gudrun Ravetz also welcomed the news, but stressed the importance of continued surveillance: “In our responses to government consultations in Northern Ireland and Scotland, BVA supported BSE negligible risk status for both countries while emphasising the need for the robust following of import tracings and the continued need for surveillance of suspicious cases.”

For in-depth news and views on Scottish agriculture, see this Friday’s issue of The Scottish Farmer or visit www.thescottishfarmer.co.uk