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A Japanese vet is visiting Great Britain and a positive report from her will see restrictions lifted.

Sachiko Fuchinoue, a senior veterinary officer in the animal quarantine service of the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture was today visiting both a Yorkshire farm which had been slaughtered out during FMD as a dangerous contact and a processing plant.

Her visit was also due to include Defra and Purbright research laboratories to allow the Japanese authorities to see at first hand the extensive measures being undertaken to ensure the safety and quality of British pig meat.

The visit comes after a major mission to Japan launched by the British Pig Executive in February when Chairman Stewart Houston led a delegation. Mr Houston said: “Hopefully this will be the last piece in the jigsaw which will see the Japanese market re-opened to British pig meat later in the summer.

“The vet was very impressed with the high standards she has seen and with the amount of work done in the wake of FMD to ensure top quality production and processing.

“BPEX is planning a follow-up trade mission in the early autumn to kick start exports once full approval is given and that will be good news for British pig producers.“

Source: Meat and Livestock Commission - 16th June 2003