AIMS Raises Concerns Over FSA’s Meat Charge Increase Plans
The Head of External Affairs for AIMS (Association of Independent Meat Suppliers), Dr Jason Aldiss, has expressed growing concerns over the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) plans to raise charge rates for the meat industry.
“Inflationary pressures are affecting all sectors, yet the FSA’s decision to pass these costs directly onto the industry is both excessive and dangerous,” said Jason.
“The FSA’s highly expensive and ineffective Official Control delivery model is already causing significant harm, with the meat industry essentially footing the bill for the profits of private veterinary companies contracted by the FSA,” he continued. “The FSA’s gold-plated veterinary attendance requirements in slaughterhouses combined with the profit-making objectives of their delivery partners, have resulted in plants being both overstaffed and overcharged to the detriment ultimately of the consumer”.
“Furthermore, the FSA is deeply bureaucratic and inefficient, with multiple layers of management idling and administrative processes adding unnecessary costs.”
“The FSA charges are exorbitant compared to other EU regulators those putting the UK meat industry at a severe competitive disadvantage in both domestic and oversea markets”.
AIMS are now calling for a fundamental overhaul of the FSA’s charging mechanism, advocating for a headage-based system, which is globally recognised and used by most regulators. This shift would eliminate the need for any form of discounting overnight and streamline costs for industry operators. It is vital that the FSA moves towards a fairer, more efficient system that serves both the taxpayer and the industry.
“We must be clear: if the FSA removes the current discount structure without addressing the gross inefficiencies in its bloated bureaucracy, over half of Britain’s meat plants could face immediate closure. Such an outcome would directly undermine the UK’s food security, vibrant local communities, and economic growth – objectives that the Labour government has rightly prioritised to help navigate the ongoing financial crisis.”
“It is now up to the FSA to take stock and ensure it does not single-handedly destroy the foundations of the UK meat industry. Industry stakeholders must make their voices heard during the FSA’s Call for Evidence on meat charging, ahead of the Board’s discussion on 11th December 2024.”
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