But it thinks this will be sufficient for the process to be commercially successful. In Britain, there is no law against farmers buying cloned cattle, says Griffin. But Phil Hudson of the National Farmers Union thinks many will be wary. If farmers in Britain wanted to buy these animals, they'd have to consider the implications. There would be a number of issues to consider, including animal welfare and public perceptions.
Perceptions carry a lot of weight.
The beef had in fact been produced using embryo splitting, which doesn't involve cloning an adult animal. Early embryos are surgically split and the separated cells go on to develop into identical calves. The cloned calves are expensive, possibly too expensive for most farmers says Griffin. The average cow costs 800 to 1000. It's very much touch and go whether the costs can be brought down so the average farmer can benefit.