Meat and dairy exports from Germany to the UK have been halted after the country confirmed its first case of the highly contagious foot and mouth disease in nearly 40 years.
German authorities said on Friday there had been an outbreak of the livestock disease in a herd of water buffalo on the outskirts of Berlin.
The country then lost its status as free from foot and mouth disease under World Organisation for Animal Health requirements, which means veterinary certificates needed for exports outside the EU can no longer be issued, according to Germany’s federal agriculture ministry.
The UK’s Defra confirmed on Tuesday morning the import of cattle, pigs and sheep and their products from Germany – one of Britain’s biggest meat and dairy suppliers – had now been banned to “protect farmers and their livelihoods”.
The ban affects exports of meat and meat products, hides and skins and blood products, as well as milk and dairy products.
Disruption to supply of meat and dairy goods in the UK was to be expected following the decision, said Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board head of animal health and welfare, Mandy Nevel.
Germany is the third largest exporter of pigmeat to the UK with an 18% market share, as well as the second-largest exporter of dairy products to the UK with a 12% market share, AHDB data showed.
“It means that ham, gammon and bacon, as well as product like salami from Germany, will not be allowed into the UK”, Nevel said. “As such, we are expecting some disruption to supply. AHDB will continue to monitor the situation as it evolves.”
Between January and October 2024, the UK imported from Germany around 117,340 tonnes of pigmeat worth £448m, 130,000 tonnes of dairy worth £283m, as well as 6,796 tonnes of beef worth £23.2m and 85 tonnes of sheepmeat valued at £963,000 – according to AHDB data.
The Grocer understands port health authorities are ramping up border controls on goods coming in from Germany, according to customs operators.
UK Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Christine Middlemiss said: “We have robust contingency plans in place to manage the risk of this disease to protect farmers and Britain’s food security, which means using all measures to limit the risk incursion and spread of this devastating disease.
“I would urge livestock keepers to exercise the utmost vigilance for signs of disease, follow scrupulous biosecurity and report any suspicion of disease immediately to the Animal & Plant Health Agency.”
Farming minister Daniel Zeichner added the government would “not hesitate to add additional countries to the list if the disease spreads”.
Keighley & Ilkley MP Robbie Moore said in a statement: “Deeply concerning to hear about the confirmed outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Germany this weekend.
“This will no doubt be incredibly worrying for all involved in the livestock sector, and indeed the wider agricultural industry.
“It is vital we keep alert to developments and all stay vigilant. Our borders must be secure – so that we don’t risk the disease entering the UK.
“The consequences of it doing so are unthinkable”, he added.
Britain last had an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in 2007, and before that in 2001. The highly contagious virus does not pose a risk to humans, but it affects cloven-hoofed animals including cattle, sheep, and pigs, and can be a cause of major disruption for livestock industries and international trade.
German agriculture minister Cem Özdemir said the priority was to ensure the disease, first recorded in the Brandenburg region, did not spread. Local authorities have culled the infected animals and implemented a days-long ban on transporting cows, pigs, sheep, goats and other animals such as camels and llamas in the region to prevent further spread.
Meat exports to the EU were likely to continue, the ministry said, as they do not require export health certificates. Current rules allow the bloc’s member states to stop exports from the specific regions that are directly suffering from an infectious disease rather than the whole country.
No comments yet