China bans Dutch meat due to outbreak of bluetongue

China has banned the import of beef and mutton from the Netherlands due to the spread of the bluetongue virus. Officially, the ban applies to all ruminant animals and to products made from the animals. China also bans the import of beef and sheep products from Belgium, where bluetongue has also emerged. The number of infections in Belgium is still a lot smaller than in our country. Infections with the bluetongue virus have been detected at around 2,500 livestock farms, according to figures from the regulator NVWA. It is not immediately clear how hard Dutch farmers will be hit by the Chinese ban. Baby milk powder, pork and by-products from the meat industry, such as liver, tongue and intestines, were the most important agricultural products purchased by China in the Netherlands, according to 2021 figures. The bluetongue virus spreads through small biting flies called midges. ...