The British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) said that “Government inaction” on impending European Union Deforestation Regulation was threatening to halt “lucrative” beef exports to the EU.
In a letter to Defra Minister Daniel Zeichner, BMPA said that the situration would “create an open goal” for competitor countries like New Zealand, Argentina and the US to “step in and take our export market”.
Government has reportedly done nothing to prepare for new export requirements arriving 1st January 2025, with BMPA suggesting Government may be “washing their hands of responsibility”.
The Association called for Government to back the new system, stating that they are the “missing link in this chain”. BMPA said: “Without Government involvement it won’t be acceptable to the EU and the UK would have to cease exporting beef. That would mean 90% of the £580 million British beef export market would cease overnight.”
It said that if that happened, the consequences would include:
- A crash in the price of UK livestock, “putting many farmers out of business and causing long term damage to Britain’s food security”
- A rise in British meat prices as the recovery of lost export revenue would be necessary to make domestic slaughter and processing viable.
Communication needed to clarify new regulations
BMPA highlighted that the UK Government needs to nominate a Competent Authority to enforce and ensure full compliance with the new regulation. It said this would likely be the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
British authorities need to be talking to EU authorities to clarify the new regulations, the Association said, in order communicate that to the industry and put the structure in place to manage compliance.
BMPA has written an urgent letter to Defra Minister Daniel Zeichner laying out a practical solution that utilises existing UK traceability systems but requires Government to play its part.
BMPA’s CEO Nick Allen warned: “We’ve seen presentations from competitor countries like Argentina who have created impressive, Government backed systems to comply with the new EU deforestation regulation. They’re now poised to step in from day one to supply fully compliant beef into the EU and will be more than willing to take Britain’s slice of the market.
“As a Government keen on fostering growth, Labour must take this seriously. We’ve written about the need for a joined-up, collaborative approach from Government in our new BMPA Meat Industry Manifesto.
“These new requirements are now part of EU law. Whether or not they choose to delay the 1st January deadline, we WILL have to comply and we WILL need Government to play its part.”
