AS BEEF consumption continues to fall all over Europe because of the BSE scare in Britain, the EU Beef Management Committee meeting yesterday allowed a token 500 British bullocks into intervention.

The move was being seen as a willingness on the part of the EU to allow intervention operations again after nearly three years and will set the scene for Monday's emergency meeting of farm ministers.

The Minister for Agriculture, Mr Yates, will be seeking intervention for Irish beef cattle as demand for them at factories and marts has fallen.

However, the farm organisations are asking the Minister to seek to have the intervention rules amended at the Luxembourg meeting to allow larger animals to qualify.

In the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy in 1992, the then EU agriculture commissioner, Mr Ray MacSharry, imposed an upper weight limit of 340kg on animals qualifying for intervention.

This move to limit the amount of beef allowed into the system would exclude virtually all the larger beef animals currently ready for market.

Figures yesterday from the Irish Food Board, An Bord Bia outlining its market strategy and the decline in consumption, give a bleak figure of what is happening Europe wide.

. UK Beef consumption down 60 per cent. Irish beef exports last year to Britain were valued at £210 million.

. Germany/Netherlands Overall consumption is down by about 50 per cent. Ireland sells £67 million worth of beef to those countries.

. France Overall consumption down by 40 per cent. Irish beef exports there last year were valued at £168 million.

. Italy Consumption down by 40 per cent. Irish beef sold there last year was worth £46 million.

. Spain Consumption down by 30 per cent. Exports last year were worth £10 million.

In other moves yesterday, the Irish Association of Pigmeat Processors said an agreement existed between producer and processor to exclude bone meal from any rations used in feeding pigs.

A joint statement with the IFA pigs committee asserted that Irish "pork was of the highest quality, and safety, and was accepted in all international markets.

The statement reaffirmed that no BSE has been found in any pigs or pigmeat products any where in the world, and said both industries would work closely together to ensure the highest standard of product, livestock and feed.