Meat industry reacts to the triggering of Article 50
As Prime Minister Theresa May signs the letter triggering Article 50, various food and farming industry experts speak to Meat Management and offer their views on the two years ahead.
British Poultry Council (BPC)
Richard Griffiths, chief executive of the British Poultry Council.
BPC chief executive Richard Griffiths said: “All food and farming sectors know where their own pinch-points are with leaving the EU. Representative organisations now need to bring forward proposals for solutions. This may initially result in a patchwork of effort, but we need the ideas being discussed to build a structure around them. The ultimate framework here is going to be the UK Food and Farming Policy.
“Above all else [the policy] must establish a strong British brand for food and farming. Now is the time to embed the ethos of what British means, and create something that both producers and regulators can be proud to be a part of.
“Next comes food security and self-sufficiency. This includes how we as citizens see British food (consumer choice), how the state sees British food (public procurement) and how the rest of the world sees British food (the cost of trade).
“At the heart of that perceived value is employment. The poultry meat sector will always need migrant labour and for that a simple working-visa system put in place, but if we’re serious about increasing the level of UK labour then it starts with British poultry meat being valued for the food security it provides. It needs to be promoted in schools and through apprenticeships, but most importantly our UK Food and Farming Policy must embed British food in the national psyche.”
National Farmers’ Union (NFU)
NFU president, Meurig Raymond.
NFU president Meurig Raymond said: “The NFU is already engaging heavily with key personnel in UK Government – last week I met with Secretary of State Andrea Leadsom and was pleased that she shared our ambition to maintain free and open trade with the EU once we leave. Defra also acknowledged the need to ensure that future reforms to the immigration system accommodate the labour requirements of the food and farming sectors.
“We will continue to seek meetings with important Whitehall departments such as Defra, the Home Office and the newly created Business, Brexit and International Trade departments.
“But what we need is our collective, coherent voice to be heard. The more NFU members who can get involved and meet their MPs, the greater impact we will have together. We will also continue to liaise with other organisations, both within and beyond the farming sector.
“This is a monumental time in the nation’s history. We are being given a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape the future of UK agriculture. We can now work with Government to shape a domestic agricultural policy that promotes competitive, profitable and progressive farm businesses, designed to meet the specific needs of UK farmers.”
Food & Drink Federation (FDF)
Ian Wright, director general of FDF.
FDF director general Ian Wright CBE said: “The triggering of Article 50 provides us with a definitive timeframe for the UK to exit the EU and the clock is ticking. We hope this means we can move swiftly from the realm of speculation into one where real issues are being resolved.
“The results of the negotiation will have lasting implications – for our people, businesses and economy. Food is at the heart of our culture, identity and security. It is vital that the Government prioritises food and drink.
“FDF on behalf of manufacturers, alongside our partners across the food chain, will work tirelessly to help Government to secure the best possible outcomes on future trade, access to the right workforce, regulation and ensuring a seamless border with the Republic of Ireland.”
National Pig Association (NPA)
NPA chairman Richard Lister said: “A free trade deal with the EU is absolutely vital for the pig sector. Tariffs on pork exports, for example, of 45p/kg on carcases or 131p/kg for processed hams, would cripple our export trade, slash profitability and export production overseas, particularly if equivalent tariffs were not levied on imports into the UK.
“The recent Brazilian meat scandal has highlighted the inherent dangers in any potential new trade deals. We don’t want imported meat produced to lower hygiene, welfare and traceability standards posing a threat to consumers and undercutting UK producers. We don’t want pork from the US, for example, from pigs reared using the growth promoter ractopamine or from sows reared in stall systems outlawed in the UK since the late-1990s.”
“We are proud of our high animal welfare standards in the UK. We want future trade deals to specify equivalent standards when it comes to meat imports. If that is not possible, pork must be granted protected status, with tariffs and quotas imposed on lower standard imports.
“We will also insist on an extension of country of origin labelling laws to clearly specify when meat has been produced to lower standards.”
“Any talk of trade deals will be rendered almost irrelevant if we lose access to the EU labour force. There would simply not be a British pig industry as we know it today.
“A survey of our members has highlighted the extent to which we rely on permanent, skilled and unskilled EU labour (by ‘unskilled’ we mean not educated to degree level), rather than short-term seasonal workers.
“Brexit will provide opportunities and threats in equal measures and we will continue to bang the drum for the best possible deal for the pig sector.”
The National Office of Animal Health (NOAH)
NOAH chair Cat Sayer said: “The UK is in a strong position to be a global centre of excellence for animal health, supporting innovative product developments with a regulatory model that assists both local and international trade. It is good to see science, research and innovation included as a key pillar in the Government’s Industrial Strategy Green Paper. Our sector, with its important role in food production and societal wellbeing as well as the support it gives to the economy, is an important part of that.
“The UK’s EU Exit must be achieved in a manner that will allow the opportunities it presents to our sector to come to fruition.”
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