QMS to gain £1m from meat levy

Changes to the distribution of red meat levy across England, Wales and Scotland to reflect where the animals were reared, which are set to be introduced next year, will see more than an additional £1 million repatriated to Qualit y Meat S cotland’s (QMS) budget.

T h e l o n g - r u n n i n g s a g a w a s f i n a l l y b r o u g h t t o a c o n c l u s i o n t h r o u g h t h e r e c e n t U K A g r i c u l - t u r e A c t a n d r e v o l v e d a r o u n d t h e f a c t t h a t l e v - i e s o n c a t t l e a n d l a m b s b orn and reared in S cotl a n d o r Wa l e s b u t w h i c h were slaughtered in England wo u l d e n d u p i n t h e p o c ke t o f t h e E n g l i s h p r o mot i o n a l body, AHDB B eef and Lamb.

I f a p p r o v e d b y d e v o l v e d ministers, the move – which has been agreed by all three l e v y b o a r d s - i s l i k e l y t o b e i mp l e me n t e d i n A p r i l n ex t y e a r a n d w i l l r e p l a c e a n interim arrangement which f o r t h e p a s t t h r e e ye a r s h a s seen the three bodies put the amount estimated as due to be repatriated into a joint pot to fund a collab orative pro - gramme of activities aimed a t s u p p o r t i n g t h e B r i t i s h meat industr y.

Welcoming the move, QMS c h i e f e x e c u t i v e , A l a n C l a r k e s a i d t h a t d e s p i t e t h e c h a n g e s t h e t h r e e g r o u p s wo u l d s t i l l c o n - tinue some collaborative work:

“W h i l e t h e d i f f e r e n c - e s i n o u r l a n d s c a p e , o u r markets and our production systems necessitate direct control of our own, domestic levy payments, we are committed to continuing to work together on strategic priorities and i n a d d r e s s i n g t h e c h a l - l e n ge s whi c h o u r i n d u str y faces such as leaving the EU, the terms of future t r a d e d e a l s a n d t a c k l i n g climate change.”