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Australian Beef - A huge threat to U.K. farmers

(329 Posts)
vegansrock Fri 21-May-21 06:55:19

The government are reportedly trying to push through a free trade deal with Australia. I wonder why. Some Australian beef farms are industrialised factories with over 400,000 cows fed on grain. Welfare standards are lower that the U.K. ( which aren’t actually that high), even with the cost ( the environmental cost not mentioned) of long distance transportation, our much smaller family run farms will not be able to compete, apart from supplying the smaller niche organic, and much more expensive, market. Farmers are worried this will be the thin end of the wedge that will finally kill them off, especially the smaller farms in Scotland and Wales. Is this just a cynical exercise to show that we don’t need the EU that will actually further damage our economy and come at a great environmental and animal welfare cost?

grannydubh Fri 21-May-21 22:19:32

I very rarely post but as a crofter I have to challenge Urmstongran's
opinion that crofting is money for old rope. We are lambing just now. Our days start at 5am and frequently finish at midnight or later. We both have other jobs to enable us to continue to croft as we make no money from the croft. The reason we continue despite the hard work, is love of our way of life. Our sheep are reared to very high standards and our ground is home to a huge variety of flora and fauna.

M0nica Fri 21-May-21 22:22:27

Urmstongran probably ox liver that is usually bought as petfood.

The best liver is calves, then lambs and pigs. My liver and kidney comes from a local pig breeder/farmshop. So both come from pigs. They make a lovely rough country pate, black pudding and haslet and their pork pies are to die for.

Rosie51 Fri 21-May-21 23:28:21

Urmstongran

Me too - with lamb’s liver MOnica. Liver & bacon casserole with onions and mashed potatoes is the food of the gods. I bought some not long ago - from Sainsbury’s. Plenty for the two of us. Price? 98p. Can’t be pig’s liver though, too strong with tubes. Ugh!

But pig's liver has so much more flavour! We always look for pig's liver for preference grin

Alegrias1 Fri 21-May-21 23:31:21

grannydubh

I very rarely post but as a crofter I have to challenge Urmstongran's
opinion that crofting is money for old rope. We are lambing just now. Our days start at 5am and frequently finish at midnight or later. We both have other jobs to enable us to continue to croft as we make no money from the croft. The reason we continue despite the hard work, is love of our way of life. Our sheep are reared to very high standards and our ground is home to a huge variety of flora and fauna.

Nice post grannydubh thanks

grannydubh Sat 22-May-21 00:10:00

Thank you Alegrias1

Urmstongran Sat 22-May-21 07:35:08

Huge apologies grannydubh for seeming to be so dismissive of a crofter’s way of life. It certainly sounds very hard work, up at all hours.

I have read up on them - it seems that most crofts don’t generate enough income to live off and extra incomes have often to be found to make a living.

When I said ‘money for old rope’ it was because the crofts I mentioned have been in my stepfather’s family for well over a hundred years and they are rented out - generating income. Or I think Inverness council pay out money. I’m not sure of the logistics but as inherited land it’s an easy way to make money. Hence my somewhat facetious remark. I am truly sorry for my crassness and hope you accept my apology.

Katie59 Sat 22-May-21 07:47:05

MawBe

^Ever heard of museling?^

No, Kali2 - what does that mean?

Muscleing.

Normally animals that have been fed properly developed muscles naturally. Cattle that have had poor diets and are skinny can be given steroids to grow the muscles really fast.
About 30 yrs ago these steroids were allowed in the UK, farmers could take a really scraggy cow and turn it into prime beef in about 3 months. Just like steroids body builders use they are illegal in the UK, the risk is in changing the rules to allow them.

Urmstongran Sat 22-May-21 07:50:52

Kali2 said ‘museling’ though. I looked it up and could make sense of it - no wonder!

Thanks Katie for the clarification.

MawBe Sat 22-May-21 07:51:04

“Muscling”? (Can’t find muscleing )
I wondered if museling was to do with making a popular Swiss breakfast cereal! grin

Urmstongran Sat 22-May-21 07:51:38

*couldn’t

greenlady102 Sat 22-May-21 07:52:43

Katie59

MawBe

Ever heard of museling?

No, Kali2 - what does that mean?

Muscleing.

Normally animals that have been fed properly developed muscles naturally. Cattle that have had poor diets and are skinny can be given steroids to grow the muscles really fast.
About 30 yrs ago these steroids were allowed in the UK, farmers could take a really scraggy cow and turn it into prime beef in about 3 months. Just like steroids body builders use they are illegal in the UK, the risk is in changing the rules to allow them.

Thats not what I know as mulesing which is slicing skin off sheep in the fly strike areas

Katie59 Sat 22-May-21 07:56:26

No UG that is “Muleing” used in Australia

Urmstongran Sat 22-May-21 08:21:36

I think I’ll just choose cheese & onion pie at the cafe this lunchtime ...

MawBe Sat 22-May-21 08:33:16

Can somebody please clarify what we are talking about?
Museling?
Muscleing?
Mulesing? (Read about this, sounds barbaric but so is flystrike, if not worse)
Muleing?
Muscling?

confused

Katie59 Sat 22-May-21 08:40:56

Muscleing is just a term used to describe growing muscles in animals - more muscles = more meat.

MawBe Sat 22-May-21 08:43:04

And the other terms?

Lin52 Sat 22-May-21 08:50:29

vegansrock

The government are reportedly trying to push through a free trade deal with Australia. I wonder why. Some Australian beef farms are industrialised factories with over 400,000 cows fed on grain. Welfare standards are lower that the U.K. ( which aren’t actually that high), even with the cost ( the environmental cost not mentioned) of long distance transportation, our much smaller family run farms will not be able to compete, apart from supplying the smaller niche organic, and much more expensive, market. Farmers are worried this will be the thin end of the wedge that will finally kill them off, especially the smaller farms in Scotland and Wales. Is this just a cynical exercise to show that we don’t need the EU that will actually further damage our economy and come at a great environmental and animal welfare cost?

For some reason Gransnet have got me down for reporting this, why, would do nothing else but support our Farmers, as I have done most of my working life, living in Germany had no choice. British meat is some of the highest quality produce in the world, my local butcher meat is from local producers, meaning Lincolnshire. He will let me buy just the amount I need, don’t get that service from supermarkets. No Australian meat for me.

Kali2 Sat 22-May-21 09:03:39

MULESING

apologies. A typo, and I had never seen or heard of it before.

Just Google it- warning, it is not pleasant.

MawBe Sat 22-May-21 09:23:38

Yes I had heard of it Kali2
It applies to sheep not cattle . Not pleasant reading but anybody who has had experience of flystrike in their livestock will know the slow painful death that can bring.
Mulesing is the removal of strips of wool-bearing skin from around the breech of a sheep to prevent the parasitic infection flystrike. The wool around the buttocks can retain faeces and urine, which attracts flies

On a more cheerful note - I offer this

Kali2 Sat 22-May-21 09:27:37

At the same time as removal of the tail, with a mechanical device, without aneasthetics or painkillers. Yes, lambs- and a practice NOT used by British farmers, as you well know.

MaizieD Sat 22-May-21 09:30:40

I did google 'mulesing'. It is barbaric and it doesn't happen in the UK.

Interesting blog post here about sheep care in the UK

www.woolsack.org/welfare

As Kali's unfortunate typo was made when she was referring to 'muscleing' (sp?) it applies to cattle.

MaizieD Sat 22-May-21 09:35:19

Interesting that the information I found about mulesing, de-tailing and castration all being done without anaesthetic referred to Australian practice. ?

Katie59 Sat 22-May-21 09:40:21

Animal welfare in Australia leaves a lot to be desired with very long transport distances within the country. Shipping of live sheep to the Middle East is truly appalling, how anyone can justify that is beyond my understanding

MawBe Sat 22-May-21 10:09:03

MaizieD

I did google 'mulesing'. It is barbaric and it doesn't happen in the UK.

Interesting blog post here about sheep care in the UK

www.woolsack.org/welfare

As Kali's unfortunate typo was made when she was referring to 'muscleing' (sp?) it applies to cattle.

What a comfort that you know what Kali2 was talking about and can answer for her hmm

And as I perhaps I would not have ventured (however tactfully) to point out elsewhere, I would agree that muscling probably does not have an “e” in it. smile

grannydubh Sat 22-May-21 10:11:23

Urmstongran of course I accept your apology, Thank you. Crofts indeed do not make enough money to live on. But the history behind this is a while different story.