The government has been told to deploy 'significantly stronger' security measures to combat illegal meat imports following a case of foot-and-mouth disease in Hungary last week.
On 6 March, Hungary confirmed its first foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in more than 50 years, with the case found on a cattle farm near the border with Slovakia.
The news follows a reported case of the virus in a herd of water buffalo in Germany earlier this year - the first reported case in the country since 1988.
The UK government responded by preventing the commercial import from Hungary and Slovakia of cattle, pigs, sheep and goats, and their untreated products, such as meat and dairy.
In addition, travellers are no longer able to bring meat, meat products, milk and dairy products, certain composite products and animal by products of pigs and ruminants, or hay or straw, from Hungary and Slovakia to Britain.
However, the Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) has urged the UK government to undertake greater measures to combat illegal imports as they pose 'significant risks' to animal health and the UK’s biosecurity.
Earlier this year, a Freedom of Information (FoI) request found that authorities at the Port of Dover seized almost 100 tonnes of illegal meat in 2024.
More recently, in January 2025, the Dover Port Health Authority said it had removed 25 tonnes of illegal meat, triple the amount seized for the same period last year.
The UK’s biosecurity measures are currently subject to an inquiry by Westminster’s Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee.
The FUW warns that insufficient security measures to combat illegal meat imports could leave the UK’s agriculture sector vulnerable to serious diseases such as FMD and African swine fever.
FUW president, Ian Rickman said: “News of FMD on mainland Europe for the second time this year will be a cause for alarm among livestock owners.
"While it's crucial to stress that this disease poses no threat to human health or food safety, as evidenced by the 2001 outbreak, its impact on the agricultural sector and our rural economy cannot be understated."
The FUW has warned on several occasions that there is an urgent need to increase security measures and vigilance to combat illegal meat imports.
In light of this most recent threat, the union said it was essential for 'significantly stronger' government action to combat these illegal imports.
The UK has remained free from FMD since 2007, and following the recent cases in Europe, it is urging livestock keepers to remain vigilant to FMD's clinical signs.
Foot-and-mouth disease does not infect humans and does not pose a food safety risk.
