The UK has been losing millions of pounds in racehorse sales due to an over-stringent ban imposed by the Indian government which my MEP Robert Sturdy is hoping to have lifted.

The ban has been in place for the last five years following the outbreak of a single known case of a disease called Contagious Equine Metritis.

India insists on a three-year clear period of infection before trading again with countries, including the UK. Most of those cases reported have been in non-thoroughbred horses and it is unlikely any country in the EU can be totally disease free due to our open borders. This trade is obviously hugely important to the Newmarket area.

Before being sold, horses are thoroughly checked have to pass all the required veterinary regulations. That’s why Robert has arranged to have the ban raised at the an important animal health committee of the WTO in Geneva this week. He is hoping they will ask India to justify it.

However, India continues to trade with Ireland, even though it had a reported case of CEM this year. It is totally baffling as to why this is the case.

We are hoping to get some good press coverage on this, the Politic’s Show is interested. Pity David Cameron didn’t know about it during his recent visit to India, he might have been able to bring it to their attention.