Brexit: despatches from the downside – No 24
01/03/2024
In this week's Brexit downsides, extra food labelling costing up to £250mn, a huge drop in overseas students, veterinary shortages in NI, and more.
National Farmers’ Union president Minette Batters has taken a swipe at former prime minister Boris Johnson for adopting a “morally bankrupt” position during post-Brexit trade talks with the US.
Imports of chilled and frozen meat and fish, cheese and dairy products, and five common varieties of cut flowers will require an export health certificate, signed off by a European vet or plant inspector, before they can enter the UK.
British Veterinary Association responds to further delays to implementation of the Government’s post-Brexit border controls
07/08/2023
The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has issued a statement in response to the news that the implementation of the UK Government’s Border Target Operating Model, which will have a significant impact on UK biosecurity, may been further delayed.
A SCOTTISH farmers union has criticised the UK Government for kicking “the can down the road” on implementing an improved system of border controls for meat and other products entering the country.
New Brexit restrictions have had a ‘disastrous’ impact on the ability of UK breeding companies to sell their stock abroad, the Farming Minister was told at the Young NPA National event in London last week.
The Government’s Fantasy Food Strategy
07/08/2022
The government’s food strategy lacks detail or any plans for implementation, and it is contradicted by its other policies.
The delay in extra checks on EU imports has been criticised by businesses for creating confusion and leaving UK borders vulnerable to unsafe produce.
With a lack of foreign labour in Britain’s fields, crops are rotting and thousands of healthy pigs are being culled unnecessarily.
British food prices are set to surge 15% this summer and will remain high for at least a year, in a further blow to hard-pressed consumers already struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, according to a report released on Thursday.
Extra trade barriers created by Britain's exit from the European Union and subsequent trade agreement have added 6% to the cost of food, researchers from the London School of Economics and other universities estimated on Wednesday.
Skills shortages and rising costs leave pig industry facing 'worst crisis in decades' [5 mins]
26/04/2022
Pig farmers are warning of a crisis that threatens a mass exodus from an industry facing a skills shortage as well as huge increases in costs of feed and energy.
A pig farmer who has been losing around £5,000 a week since Christmas has called for more government support for the industry.
Labour shortages caused by Brexit and accentuated by the COVID pandemic have badly affected businesses across the food and farming sector and could cause ‘permanent’ damage, UK lawmakers stated in a report published on Wednesday (6 April).
Crops left unharvested, healthy pigs culled and increased costs which will ultimately have to be swallowed by the consumer. Not going well, is it?
Brexit and pandemic could ‘permanently damage’ British food and farming industry [4 mins]
06/04/2022
Labour shortages and price rises triggered by Brexit and the pandemic could leave the British food and farming industry permanently damaged, MPs have warned.
Mass culling of 35,000 pigs and tonnes of crops being left to rot 'caused by Brexit', committee finds
06/04/2022
A lack of food and farm workers “caused by Brexit and accentuated by the pandemic” meant at least 35,000 pigs were culled and tonnes of crops left to rot in the fields last year, a damning report has revealed.
Cost of living crisis: Brexit labour shortage could ‘permanently’ push up food prices, MPs warn
06/04/2022
The Covid pandemic has exacerbated the problems caused by Britain leaving the EU, the report found.
Vets warn delay to post-Brexit checks will ‘open door to African Swine Fever’ and other diseases
30/03/2022
‘Deeply misguided’ to ‘weaken this layer of protection for both animal and public health’, government told.
NFU president tells conference ministers have no understanding of how food production works. / Food producers have said the challenges they face are “the toughest in a generation” as members of the National Farmers’ Union met for their annual conference after the first full year of Brexit.
Farming: Tories showed ‘total lack of understanding’ post-Brexit as 40,000 pigs killed & thrown away
22/02/2022
This “disaster should have and could have been avoided”, and that the situation pig farmers find themselves in “truly is an utter disgrace”.
Farmers sound alarm as more than 40,000 pigs are culled and meat thrown away due to Brexit and pandemic
22/02/2022
An estimated 200,000 pigs are backed up on farms because of a lack of skilled butchers to process them, while 40,000 animals have already been culled and their meat thrown away, farmers said this morning.
Pig farmers are in a “desperate” position – with culls of thousands of healthy animals and producers quitting the industry, they warned as a summit was held on the crisis.
Talk at this week’s NFU conference will be alive with financial, labour and competition concerns.