Fair solution needed to solve red meat levy

Holyrood has called for a “fair solution” to the problem of red meat levy money from Scottishborn animals being collected down south.

Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing said Scotland was losing up to £1.5 million a year from beef cattle, sheep and pig levy money being collected at the point of slaughter in England.

He has renewed calls to the UK Government for the issue to be rectified and asked it ensures a legislative solution to the problem is included in its upcoming Agriculture Bill.

“Almost £12m has been lost to our quality red meat sector – money which could have been used to the benefit of Scottish producers, including marketing and promotion of Scotch beef, Scotch lamb and specially selected pork to consumers at home and abroad,” said Mr Ewing.

“That is why a fairer solution should be embedded into the UK Government’s upcoming Agriculture Bill – a solution that recognises the scale of economic activity undertaken by the red meat sector across the UK, rather than simply where the animal is slaughtered.”

He said Westminster needed to “stop pledging and start acting” and said it had known since 2016 a change in legislation would be required.

Jim McLaren, the chairman of Scotland’s red meat levy body Quality Meat Scotland, said finding a long-term solution to the problem of lost levies should be dealt with as a matter of urgency.

He said an interim solution, whereby £2m of red meat levies has been ring-fenced by UK levy body Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board for projects across Scotland, England and Wales, was working but did not reflect the money the Scottish industry was losing south of the border.