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

Urmstongran

Rees-Mogadishu promised us cheaper food and shoes pre-referendum. I remember him saying it. So perhaps it WAS the Brexit I voted for? Not the main reason, before anyone jumps on me. Just saying.

I recall his assertion being totally demolished by trade wonks...
But I don't expect you'll have been interested in that...

I hope I’m still around when the EU/ Australia FTA is agreed ?
Probably not. How long did the Canadian deal take? 9 years, wasn’t it.

Probably not MaizieD just as I didn’t bother with the myriad Project Fear denunciations about the economy about to tank, sterling having parity of 1:1 with the Euro.
?

How do you think things went re Project Fear and experts warnings re

Fisheries

Financial services

loss of business and industrial sectors

treatment of EU residents and workers, both ways

and now Agriculture?

Some transport is essential and cannot be avoided but there is no justification for long distance live transport for slaughter. Sheep by sea from Australia to the Middle East or across the Channel simply cannot be justified.

The government are on the case regarding fisheries. Things will get sorted, it’s been early days (22 weeks!) and the EU have been intransigent regarding working together to find a way but a way WILL be found, grants will be given in the interim, fishermen are very sensibly diversifying and finding lucrative new markets (fish boxes) right on their doorstep with better prices too. Great ideas.

The BoE have given us better than expected predictions post- Brexit. The EU is trying to lure the financial hubs over to European centres but with less than stellar results. Most (unexpectedly) are happy to stay put. The Business section in the Telegraph at the weekend reported that most of the financial sector just needed stability and this is now apparent.

Agriculture? Well the customer is King. Better labelling of provenance will allow customers to make an informed choice be it price led, quality led, local source led etc. Time alone will settle the issue. At least we are away from the protectionist Common Agri practices!

We will be fine.
Remainers know it deep down they just don’t yet like to admit how well we are doing and will do going forward.

Our vaccine rollout has been pretty amazing too, just as an aside. World beating indeed.

I’m proud to be British.
??

I've been staying out of this discussion because I don't know much about it, so I've been watching and learning.

Remainers know it deep down they just don’t yet like to admit how well we are doing and will do going forward.

How unbelievably patronising, you have no idea what I know or don't know. As for the ridiculous and recurring claim that Remainers don't want us to succeed, that's just insulting.

Yes, the vaccine rollout is going really well. Not world beating though, I think the Israelis can claim that.

Everything else is s***

Urmstongran- thank you for taking time to reply- as usually those questions have been just ignored.

I am afraid I just can't agree but have a meeting in 1 hour and have to go and scrub up and change.

Just one point- the Government has made it clear that labelling will not allow the customer to make an informed choice as provenance will not be given. We have seen the ridiculous nationalistic labelling of vegetables, etc, recently- the British flag and 'British' label for fruit and veg which were grown far away in EU or beyond. So dishonest.

So the better off (like me) will be able to choose to go to their favourite and trusted local butcher and buy local and British. Others will not. And meat included in ready meals and other foods like sausages, etc, will not be labelled either. Same in restaurants. There are countries were provenance has to be clearly given in restaurants, supermarkets and prepared foods- but the UK has no intention of doing this.

I am afraid that remainers do not know this is going to be OK, deep down or otherwise, and would say it is the absolute opposite. The more Brexiters are given facts and see the results, the more they get entrenched, bordering (and oft beyond) nationalism. Sterling is being artificially protected for now- and yes, I agree- the expected fall has not happened (but most will add 'yet').

And you don't have to be a Brexiter to be proud of being British. Actually, I think it is out of love for the Great Britain that they feel such sadness and despair, about the GREAT Britain they love.

But thanks for replying.

Isabel Oakshott (sp) is horrified at the thought of us having to eat Australian beef. Good job she was a remainer and warned us about this before the referendum or people wouldn’t have made an informed decision. Oh, hang on a minute.

Well don’t eat it then! Simples.
We can make choices.
Brexit hasn’t robbed us of our intellects.

So the better off (like me) will be able to choose to go to their favourite and trusted local butcher and buy local and British. Others will not. And meat included in ready meals and other foods like sausages, etc, will not be labelled either. Same in restaurants. There are countries were provenance has to be clearly given in restaurants, supermarkets and prepared foods- but the UK has no intention of doing this.

But it is no different than it has been for years.

Chicken from Vietnam in ready meals, steak from Argentina served in restaurants etc and lamb from New Zealand of course.
Not to mention the scandal of horsemeat sold as beef.

I think people would have a shock if they were told they just had to buy British produced food or even if they thought that EU food was ethically produced.

I think people would have a shock if they were told they just had to buy British produced food and nothing else as it would prove nigh on impossible.

I doubt there are many countries which do not import or export food.

MayBee70

Isabel Oakshott (sp) is horrified at the thought of us having to eat Australian beef. Good job she was a remainer and warned us about this before the referendum or people wouldn’t have made an informed decision. Oh, hang on a minute.

I can imagine that only the best organically produced fillet steak from a named steer lovingly raised in its own field would pass her lips.

Actually, I think it is out of love for the Great Britain that they feel such sadness and despair, about the GREAT Britain they love.

No-one will be forced to buy Australian beef, it will be labelled, do not despair, do not feel sad. You will be able to choose.

Australian sprouts were labelled. As are avocados from Peru, although, compared to Australian avocados, they are awful.

Irish beef is labelled - oh, wait a minute, wasn't that wrongly labelled? Should have had horsemeat on the label if I remember.

I'm a Leaver but you can't just consider the short term benefits of lower prices for consumers. One of Britain's greatest problems over recent decades has been the loss of skills as production and, with the internet, services, have been farmed out to cheaper places abroad.

Too much protectionism cossets people and permits them to be second rate. Too little protectionism extinguishes their profession and the skills are lost forever, which is why we have become a low skills economy with so many people serving coffee to each other, and having to import so much of what we need.

EU membership compounded the problem with so much imported cheap labour and with too many strategic decisions being made by foreign politicians and businessmen who owed the UK nothing and had the whole of the EU to choose from.

This might help you gain some idea of the industry:
ahdb.org.uk/news/uk-beef-self-sufficiency-and-impacts-of-brexit
ahdb.org.uk/news/irish-beef-exports-to-gb-drops-back-in-2021

there were approximately 319,000 farms in the UK in 1990, 110,000 have now gone/closed, all whilst we have been in the EU.

Interesting article from The Guardian

Everyone is avoiding the issue of climate change and the detrimental affect this will have - you can’t just put your heads in the sand and say “ it will be fine”. If you want to know what patronising sounds like :
“ Brexiteers know deep down it isn’t looking good for British farmers, fishermen and those in NI, but just don’t want to admit it” ( I’m just rephrasing Urmstons way of being able to read others minds)

Those which remain have been forced, in many instances, to diversify, added extra burdens on farming families as they tried to make ends meet.

Urmstongran

Well don’t eat it then! Simples.
We can make choices.
Brexit hasn’t robbed us of our intellects.

How can you choose to 'not eat it' - as the Government has said they will not label provenance on food and meat?

And even then- will if it was labelled in supermarkets- will it be labelled in schools, hospitals and other public places, restaurants, and on prepared foods?

It does seem that it has ...

That's a whole other huge issue vegansrock and doesn't deserve to be buried in a thread about Brexit and importing a tiny proportion of beef from Australia.

Blimey this approximately Australian 1.5 - 3.0% of overall beef seems to be able to go a long way, if it’s going to be everywhere and in every meal and on every restaurant menu, is it magic?

Here’s a very good article on what damage the eu have done to farming and biodiversity

www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/mar/23/eu-in-state-of-denial-over-destructive-impact-of-farming-on-wildlife.

Please note it’s not from the DM but the brexit loving Guardian.

GrannyGravy13

Blimey this approximately Australian 1.5 - 3.0% of overall beef seems to be able to go a long way, if it’s going to be everywhere and in every meal and on every restaurant menu, is it magic?

Yes, it is!

Of course, it's going to be mixed into every packet of mince on supermarket shelves which will then be labelled as 97% British.

Like honey - a blend of EU and non-EU honeys.

Personally, I prefer locally produced honey but it is C£5 a jar compared to the EU + non-EU honeys or even organic Duchy Original (product of Romania).

I rarely eat meat when out, nor do I often buy meat products. I would like to be perfectionist, but I am lucky that the local farm shop sells sausages, bacon, pork pies and other products they make from their pigs, but I am partial to steak and kidney pudding - and Waitrose do very good ones.

The solution to the price of good quality meat is to buy less of it. We eat a lot of casseroles and stews and our average meat portion is now just over 2ozs, compared with 4oz in the past. I add extra vegetables or beans and when you are using good quality meat this will still produce a lovely meaty stew.