LONDON, Oct 25 (Reuters) – New UK government regulations set to come into force in December could prevent thousands of British meat producers from exporting to the European Union, the industry warned on Tuesday.

The British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) said a requirement for farms wishing to export to the EU to provide documents signed by vets that confirm visits to farms rather than the current system of farmer declaration was not achievable by the government’s Dec. 13 deadline.

It said that while the new rules would not impact farms covered by a UK Farm Assurance scheme such as Red Tractor, thousands of other farms would need to have a signed vet visit before the deadline.

It estimated the new rules, which it said have not been demanded by the EU, would take over a year to implement, partly due to a shortage of vets. It noted 72% of all UK meat exports go to the EU.

“If regulatory changes about to be introduced by Defra are allowed to go ahead on that date, a significant amount of the UK’s meat production will become non-compliant for export to the EU overnight,” the BMPA said in a letter to Defra minister Mark Spencer.

Reuters

Staff at the Food Standards Agency (FSA) are being balloted for strike action that could affect meat supplies during the festive season, says UNISON.

The dispute involving several hundred inspectors, vets, and office-based staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland could bring the industry to a halt, according to the union.

Earlier in the year, FSA staff voted to reject a pay offer of between 2% and 5%.

UNISON says this is significantly lower than inflation – currently 9.9% – and falls short of the 10% pay claim put forward by the union.

The ballot closes on 31 October. UNISON says this could result in strikes in the run up to and over Christmas leading to less meat on supermarket shelves.

UNISON head of local government Mike Short said: “FSA staff play a vital role in keeping contaminated meat off people’s plates.

“But many have to work in a difficult and unpleasant conditions inspecting carcasses for signs of disease.

“These employees protect consumers, ensure good animal welfare, and must be rewarded accordingly.

“The FSA needs to come up with a significantly higher offer to avoid any disruption.”

The International Trade Committee today calls for an analysis of potential risks to the UK’s food security arising from the New Zealand trade deal.

In a new report on the UK’s trade agreement with New Zealand, the cross-party Committee of MPs raises concerns over the elimination of tariffs on New Zealand goods and the impact of opening UK agri-food markets to cheaper imports.

Much of New Zealand’s beef, sheep-meat and dairy are cheaper than those produced in the UK due to lower production costs.

With the Government’s impact assessment predicting that the UK’s agriculture, forestry, fishing, and semi-processed food sectors could contract due to increased competition, the Committee questions whether the pros and cons of tariff liberalisation have been fully considered.

While concluding that, on balance, the agreement should be ratified, the Committee outlines that it presents few new opportunities for UK exporters, and suggests more export opportunities or greater safeguards for the sector could have been negotiated.

The MPs criticise the absence of a single, unifying Government trade strategy and call for the publication of a clearly defined vision for trade, showing how it balances different priorities in the best interests of consumers and businesses. The Government’s approach to negotiating new deals is characterised as reactive and hasty, and not joined-up across departments. The Committee notes that current Treasury plans to raise taxes on higher-alcohol content beverages could negate measures in the agreement aimed at reducing the price of New Zealand wines.

The Committee also expresses shock that the UK is signing trade deals without thoroughly understanding how they interact with the Northern Ireland Protocol. MPs call on the Government to provide reassurance on how agreements between the UK, the EU and New Zealand will interact so that Northern Ireland can benefit from the trade deal in the same way as the rest of the UK.

The report calls for MPs to be given the opportunity to debate the agreement during the Parliamentary scrutiny period, with the ability to show their support, or otherwise, for it through a vote.

UK Parliament

Cattle farmers in Botswana, one of Africa’s top beef exporters to the European Union, have welcomed renewed beef exports to Europe.

The move follows a two-month ban that followed an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease and the culling of thousands of cows.

Botswana officials on Monday said the August outbreak near the border with Zimbabwe has been brought under control, although a ban on cattle from the area remains in place.

Due to tough restrictions, beef exports to the European Union had been suspended because of the outbreak in August.

But farmers like Bathusi Letlhare said they are now relieved following Monday’s announcement of the partial lifting of the ban.

“It is a welcome development because the EU is one of the main markets for our beef,” Letlhare said. “They pay good prices, and this, in turn, benefits farmers a lot. It is always bad when we have an FMD outbreak and the market has to be closed.”

Letlhare added that the frequent outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease have had an adverse impact on the economy.

“I can say 80 percent of households have livestock, and when FMD breaks out and certain markets are closed, it becomes a big challenge to farmers,” Letlhare said. “Farmers cannot move cattle to markets, and there is no income to farmers, and the whole economy is affected.”

Mqondisi Dube / Voice of America 

Exports of Welsh lamb to new markets have rocketed by 227 per cent, demonstrating ’real appetite’ for renowned red meat brands, Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC) chair Catherine Smith has said.

The countries now taking the meat include Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Addressing delegates at SIAL Paris during a reception event hosted by HCC, Ms Smith revealed exports of Welsh lamb to Europe had also increased 22 per cent compared to last year, before paying tribute to Welsh farmers efforts in producing sustainable food.

“Independent research shows that lamb and beef produced in Wales has a lower carbon footprint compared with that from other parts of the world,” she said.

“We rely on healthy soils, natural rainwater and a respect for the land which has been instilled in us through generations.

“We are committed to becoming a global exemplar of how to produce quality food, sustainably and efficiently.”

by Hannah Binns / Farmers Guardian

Authorities such as the Food Standards Agency (FSA) are struggling with a skills gap after the United Kingdom left the European Union, according to a report.

The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee said there is a problem for agencies in recruiting and keeping the skills needed to regulate effectively in their new and expanded roles.

There is a shortage of veterinarians to monitor food safety and animal welfare in abattoirs and toxicologists to assess food risks and chemical safety – increasing the risks for consumers.

A lack of vets in abattoirs driven by increased demand led to temporary measures in autumn 2021 to ensure there was enough staff. FSA is reviewing the pay and conditions to make the career more attractive. About 95 percent of vets provided by Eville and Jones are from abroad.

The FSA has written to abattoir and cutting plant owners about potential changes for how controls are delivered through official veterinarians.

Junior Johnson, FSA director of operations, said: “Despite challenges in veterinary recruitment, the agency has maintained full and ongoing service delivery of official controls in abattoirs and there has been no interruption in service to date.

“Official veterinarians are however, in very short supply, and we are working with partners to find solutions to what is a systemic resourcing issue so that the FSA can continue to provide a reliable service to industry and uphold food safety, protect animal health and welfare, and enable businesses to sell food domestically and abroad.”

Food Safety News

A new pork advertising campaign by the AHDB has been rolled out with an aim to ‘feed the family for less’ as the cost-of-living crisis continues.

As consumer demand for affordable meals grows, the levy organisation’s autumn pork marketing campaign launches with new messaging, running from 17 October until 25 November 2022.

The adverts aim to encourage the public to back farmers by purchasing economical cuts of pork to create everyday, affordable dishes.

The campaign, which has been running for six years, also aims to raise awareness of pork’s positive role in healthy meal choices during the current cost-of-living crisis.

New recipes included in the campaign will feed a family of four for under £5, the AHDB says, with some recipes costing less than £1 per person using pork cuts such as the shoulder, sausages, and lean mince.

Consumers will see the adverts online, across social media, during on-demand TV shows, in the aisles and websites of eight supermarket chains.

by Farming UK

China released more pork reserves Friday, state media said, after prices of the staple meat soared by almost a third, triggering inflation concerns.

AFP

Weekly pig prices, slaughter data for Great Britain

The EU-spec GB SPP continued moving in the right direction in the week ended October 8, inching up by 0.18p to reach 200.55p/kg.

This is the second successive weekly increase, following the reverse in the week ended September 24 and means the SPP has risen by less than 0.6p over the past four weeks as the upward trajectory slows, and means the index is 44p on a year ago.

The APP was back up by nearly a penny, 0.9p, for the week ended October 1. At 203.57p/kg, the gap between it and the SPP was just 3.2p.

The context is, of course, that average prices remain below average costs, estimated by AHDB at 221p/kg for August.

The EU price is critical to the UK market and the large gulf between the UK and EU prices over the summer has contributed to increased volumes of pork imports. As EU prices have risen that gap has closed in recent weeks.

For the week ending October 2, the EU Reference stood at just short of 187p/kg, compared with a UK reference price of 200.7p/kg, the gap of under 14p comparing with more than 30p at some points in August. However, the rise in EU prices has stalled, with some key producers recording falls in recent weeks.

Pig World / AHDB