Ewing calls for greater support for farming sectors under pressure
Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing has written to Minister of State at DEFRA George Eustice to call for greater support for farming sectors under pressure due to the impacts of COVID-19, highlighting key sectors already under pressure, such as dairy and red meat.
He has highlighted the need to see all the major retailers making immediate payments to small suppliers to help with cashflow during this difficult period and for the UK Government to ensure farmers benefit from any EU measures and funding made available to EU member states at this time.
Mr Ewing said in the letter: I am aware both Edwin Poots and Lesley Griffiths have written to you concerning the impacts faced by the agri-food sector, which is starting to face significant challenges, with many traditional and long-standing market supply chains having to readjust rapidly.
‘Whilst we are all rightly focused on actions to protect people’s lives, protect the NHS and prevent the spread of the virus, I whole-heartedly agree with both Edwin and Lesley that we all need to be fully committed to support our vitally important sectors in a co-ordinated approach at the UK level.
I have welcomed the sharing of information between our officials and ourselves on many common issues that are now starting to impact specific sectors. Impacts such as the absolute collapse the out-of-home drinks market is having on all our dairy sectors and the issue of achieving carcase balance in our beef and sheep sectors whilst prices are starting to fall to potentially unsustainable levels.
Similar difficulties are of course being experienced across all agricultural sectors, affecting both processors and primary producers, who I must commend for rising to the occasion to keep our nations supplied whilst adhering to the tight guidelines required to operate and protect staff if a safe manner.
I am pleased our red meat levy bodies have agreed to share marketing assets and make use of the Ring Fence Funding to launch a national marketing campaign that will be tailored by each region and help encourage additional sales in some sectors. I understand that AHDB will require Defra’s approval, and trust that this will be provided rapidly.
As we have discussed, we also need to see all the major retailers making immediate payments to small suppliers to help with cashflow during this difficult period and use their collective consumer reach to help promote all our UK primary produce at this time.
These initiatives will all be helpful but we must also make best use of all available powers to protect our sectors. I therefore also seek your commitment to making use of any current or new emergency measures from the European Commission under the Common Market Organisation Regulations during the transition period and that funding for such measures would be continued at the end of this period as required, and should any EU funding emerge to accompany such measures but the UK Government cannot, or chooses not to access such funding, the UK Government should provide the devolved administrations with equivalent funds.