Governmental support requested by British sheep farmers
The British government is asked to hedge the risks for the sheep meat sector in the country in case of a no-deal Brexit. At this time, negotiations are heading to a ban of least 6 months for British agricultural products in the EU single market doubled by an increase in imports for food security reasons.
The situation looks damaging for sheep farmers across the Kingdom, as the National Sheep Association (NSA) representatives declared. Phil Stocker, NSA Chief Executive said: “It would be highly damaging to the UK sheep sector if we ease the flow of imports, something the Government has suggested it would do to keep our manufacturing going, at the same time as the EU delays the approval of products destined for its side of the Channel. If we lose access for UK sheepmeat, even for a few months, and still allow imported lamb to come in, then our markets will quickly become flooded and prices will plummet, with farmers feeling the brunt of it.”
The organisation believes that the only option in that scenario would be to close the doors to sheepmeat imports and focus on getting UK production into the domestic market, informs Farming UK magazine.
"It would give us challenges with seasonality, as lamb production fluctuates at different points in the year but using public procurement markets such as our armed forces, schools and hospitals, and investing in long-term cold storage would allow us to make the most of what would otherwise be a catastrophe," added Stocker.
Listing UK as a third country able to trade with the EU is also important in case of no-deal between the parts. Also, NSA expects that the GBP40 billion (€45.5 billion) "divorce bill", that is subject to negotiation, to be reinvested in the sectors most affected by Brexit.
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