Record spending on fresh red meat signals robust UK Christmas trade

Consumer spending on fresh red meat in Great Britain surged to a record £656.2 million in the four weeks leading up to Christmas 2023, marking a significant 9.6% increase compared to the previous year, according to data from Nielsen.

This remarkable growth defied the challenges of price inflation, indicating a notable shift in household spending towards red meat products.

“The fresh red meat market in Great Britain experienced a gradual growth trend in the lead-up to Christmas, with a substantial surge in sales during the final week, accounting for approximately 35% of total sales over the four-week period,” notes Abby Tong, category specialist at QMS.

While price inflation played a central role in this marked growth in spend, increased volume sales also contributed, with a 2% year-on-year increase, reversing the decline seen at Christmas 2022.

Sausages, lamb, and beef were the top contributors to the overall volume increase, with lamb notably rebounding from a sales slump in 2022 with a year-on-year volume growth of 12%.

“It’s great to see lamb recovering from the impacts of price inflation and the perception that it is an expensive protein which had been dampening sales,” says Abby. “The outstanding performer within the fresh lamb category was the lamb leg.”

 

Quality Meat Scotland

French protests concern lamb exports but trade holds firm

UK lamb prices are holding up, despite major protests by farmers in France who have been blocking roads, which has disrupted British lamb exports heading to the Continent.

The GB deadweight lamb SQQ increased by 23.6p/kg on the week to 631.8p/kg, with lower throughputs at abattoirs.

Prices at auction markets were also up, with the liveweight SQQ at 296.2p/kg for the week to 27 January.

Auctioneers say while finished prices have been strong in the past week, supply could catch up with demand if retail markets remain quiet and export markets stay disrupted.

Rizvan Khalid, managing director at Shropshire-based exporter Euro Quality Lambs, told Farmers Weekly the French protests had already had an effect on logistics, with at least one lorry missing its delivery.

As a result of the protests, there are currently fewer buyers at Rungis International Market in Paris, which is affecting sales, according to Mr Khalid.

 

Charlie Reeve | Farmers Weekly

Post-Brexit controls on food and farm imports start

Post-Brexit controls on food, plant and animal imports to Britain from the EU have come into force.

Health certificates will now be required on EU goods ranging from cut flowers, to fresh produce including meat, fruit and vegetables.

Some industry bodies raised concerns the rules could cause delays and push up costs, but others said they would help UK farmers be more competitive.

The government said its border model would “minimise burdens for traders”.

The UK left the EU exactly four years ago, but it has taken some time for the government to implement new trade rules – legally required under the Brexit agreement – for goods travelling from the EU to the UK.

The implementation of the changes has been delayed five times, in part to give businesses time to prepare and to reduce disruption to supply chains. The new border checks will also be phased in over the next year, with physical checks starting from 30 April.

The physical checks down the line have prompted fears of disruption to business supply chains. For example, lorries carrying goods could be stopped at ports to ensure they have the correct documentation. Concerns remain that extra checks will see import costs for businesses rise, and in turn prices for consumers.

But from Wednesday, the main change is the introduction of “export health certificates” on imports of “medium risk” animal products, as well as plants and plant products imported to Britain from the EU. The trade rules cover goods ranging from cut flowers, to cheese, fish and meats.

 

Michael Race | BBC News

British pork exporters on a mission in California

British pork exporters have taken the first steps towards maximising new opportunities in California following the introduction of the controversial Proposition 12 legislation in the state.

California’s Prop 12 legislation came into force on January 1, establishing stricter production standards including the provision of greater freedom of movement for pigs. Prop 12 bans the sale of pork from the offspring of sows kept in pens that do not provide 24 square feet per sow. The legislation prevents the sale in the State of pig meat that does not meet the new criteria.

Only a small fraction of US pig producers are compliant – just 4%, according to one report, with the new regulations, therefore, opening up opportunities for other countries to supply a state with a population of around 40 million.

 

Alistair Driver | Pig World

GB pig prices for w/e October 14th, 2023 – another big drop, EU prices plummet

Weekly pig prices and slaughter data for Great Britain. 

The EU-spec SPP was down by a further 1.62p during the week ended October 14 to stand at 220.12p/kg, after stabilising the previous week.

This was the second biggest fall of the year, meaning the SPP has now lost 5.5p since mid-August and currently stands 20p ahead of a year ago.

Following the previous week’s loss of 1.5p, the APP, which includes premium pigs, lost another 0.61p to stand at 221.08p/kg during the week ended October 7. This meant the gap between the two price indexes increased once again, with the SPP now 0.65p ahead of the APP, as the reversal of the usual relationship continues.

One of the biggest drivers in the decline of UK prices is falling EU prices. The EU reference price dropped back by a further 2p during the week ended October 8 to stand at 193.78p/kg, led by falls of 4p in Spain, 3p in Germany and 2p in France.

EU prices are falling much more quickly than in the UK. The EU reference price is now nearly 22p down on its mid-July high and the latest drop has increased the gap between the UK and EU reference prices to beyond 25p, compared with low of just 6p during the week ended July 23. Prices in a number of EU countries, led by Germany, fell back further last week.

Estimated GB slaughterings remain well below year earlier levels. The figure for the week ended October 14 was down by more than 1,000 on the week, and at 160,300, it was 27,500 down on the same week in 2022.

It also needs to noted that AHDB’s estimated slaughterings going back for a few weeks have been significantly revised downwards, including the figure quoted last week for the week ended October 7, 169,000, which has been lowered to 161,600, also 27,000 down year-on-year.

 

 

Pig World / AHDB

£4m small abattoir fund to open by end of 2023

A Small Abattoir fund will open by the end of this year, providing £4m of funding in England to help improve productivity, enhance animal health and welfare and encourage investment in new technologies in vital local plants.

Small abattoirs have come under increased pressure in recent, highlighted by a 20% reduction in the number of low-capacity abattoirs in the last decade, often making it harder for livestock farmers to find viable outlets.

Farming Minister Mark Spencer announced Defra would introduce a scheme to support these businesses, and more details were announced during last week’s Back British Farming Day as part of a wider announcement.

The £4m fund will will be open to red meat and poultry businesses with an annual throughput of up to 10,000 livestock units including beef, pork and lamb, and/or 500,000 birds per year.

Defra said the funding would make it easier for them to operate and support farmers in reaching local and international markets.

Announcing the scheme in February, Mr Spencer said abattoirs are key to the food supply chain and there is clearly a need to support smaller providers in this area. “A network of smaller abattoirs distributed around the country is crucial to supporting the rural economy, enabling farmers to sell their own meat in farm shops and maintaining good animal health and welfare through reduced journey times to slaughter,” he said.

 

Alistair Driver | Pig World

UK ends strict controls for beef and poultry from Brazil

The UK has lifted reinforced inspections on meat products from Brazil after analyzing the country’s control system.

The decision covers consignments of beef, poultry, and meat products and preparations exported from Brazil to England, Scotland, and Wales. It comes after an audit of Brazil’s sanitary and phytosanitary controls.

Following allegations of fraud in Brazil in 2017 during Operation Carne Fraca, measures were implemented for enhanced checks on certain imported animal products.

For beef and poultry meat products from Brazil, exports to Great Britain no longer need enhanced pre- and post-import testing for Salmonella or the added attestation attached to health certificates confirming Salmonella sampling, methods of analysis used, and results.

Post-import physical checks for poultry and beef products will be reduced from 100 percent physical and 20 percent microbiological sampling. Brazil can now re-list certain poultry and beef sites for export to Great Britain.

Auditors visited central and regional authorities, two certification centers, eight slaughterhouses, four other businesses, two farms, and four laboratories. The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply (MAPA) leads official controls and certification of exports of animals and animal products. The Department of Inspection of Animal Products (DIPOA) is responsible for managing the Brazilian Federal Inspection Service (SIF).

Brazilian authorities have made “significant” progress in correcting the systemic failings in the framework of controls and their application that led to enhanced Salmonella controls. According to Defra, changes to legislation and a restructuring of the authorities have strengthened the regulatory oversight of exports and clarified accountabilities.

By  | Food Safety News

NPA sets out case for ‘essential’ support of small abattoirs

The NPA has set out the case for how small and medium-sized abattoirs should be supported under Defra’s new funding scheme. 

Farming Minister Mark Spencer announced in February that Defra would be developing a Smaller Abattoir Fund. Small abattoirs have been in decline for many years, and, in the past few days, news has emerged of a local Cumbrian plant that has been forced to close. The loss of these local abattoirs is making it increasingly hard for farmers to find outlets for their stock.

Mr Spencer said: “If farming is to flourish then we need to get the fundamentals right – abattoirs are key to the food supply chain and there is clearly a need to support smaller providers in this area.”

Defra has been seeking the views of industry bodies on how the fund should look and, in its response, put together with guidance from the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS), the NPA stresses that small- to medium-sized abattoirs are vital to the pig industry in providing alternative markets to the larger processors.

They also provide additional capacity in the event of breakdowns and general delays in slaughter capacity at times of acute pressure, as experienced during the pig backlog.

“Therefore, support for this specific sector of the industry is essential to protect animal health and welfare, and never more so as the slaughtering and processing sector continues to consolidate resulting in pigs being transported ever greater distances for slaughter,” the response states.

 

by Alistair Driver | Pig World

Pilgrim’s Ashton pork processing site closes after 70 years

Pilgrim’s UK Ashton-under-Lyne pork processing site will process pigs for the last time today, as the sector called the firm’s decision ‘disappointing’.

Pilgrim’s Ashton site will kill pigs for the last time on Friday (7 July), with existing operations transferring to the company’s abattoir and butchery facilities in Spalding and Westerleigh.

Pilgrim’s UK announced proposals to close the 70-year-old abattoir and butchery facility in Greater Manchester in May, leaving more than 500 members of staff potentially facing redundancy.

“Pilgrim’s UK has been working closely with the site team and customers to ensure we maintain quality and service levels throughout this process,” the company said.

Pilgrim’s UK, one of the UK’s largest food businesses, had shut down its Bury St Edmunds and Coalville sites last year.

The UK pork sector continues to face the most significant challenges in its history, with the UK sow herd having contracted by around 15%.

 

 

by Farming UK

Shock following closure of Cumbrian abattoir

THE news that Black Brow abattoir near Wigton is closing has shocked producers and butchers.

The abattoir, which was taken over in 2004, is used by north Cumbrian farmers who rely on it for slaughtering their livestock.

Many farmers in the area market their meat from their animals direct to consumers, and for this to be possible, there needs to be a small abattoir within reach of their farms.

Up until now the abattoir, which has been run by local pig farmer, Maurice Wharton, has been running a four-day week, with around 12 workers, and a throughput of a few hundred livestock.

A spokesperson said the abattoir was used for slaughtering cattle, sheep, pigs and goats, but the challenges facing the pig industry currently, had impacted on the business.

A letter informing customers of the closure was sent out last month by Mr Wharton, the managing director, who was not available for comment.

National Farmers Union (NFU) Cumbrian council delegate and west Cumbrian farmer, Alistair Mackintosh said Black Brow was situated to service many of the local farmers and butchers and was fundamental to many operations maintaining their business.

“It is a shame and a blow that we are losing yet another small abattoir in this country. The aim is to have a vibrant rural community and it is handy to use a local facility that importantly cut down on local food miles.

“It is always hard on the farmers and butchers who use it and where do they go now?” said Mr Mackintosh, who is also vice-chair of Red Tractor Assurance.

“I believe the abattoir did a good trade with pigs originally, but now the pig industry is suffering many challenges, and this will have impacted economically on the abattoir.

 

 

By Maureen Hodges | News & Star

× Whatsapp Available on SundayMondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturday