The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Ewing says deferral and ‘no deal’ off table preferable for industry
A three-month deferral and “no deal” taken off the table would be preferable for the farming industry to the “catastrophic” prospect of the UK crashing out of the EU on March 29, according to Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing.
Speaking at United Auctions mart in Stirling, Mr Ewing said while the Scottish Government was doing all it could to make life easier for farmers, including making early loans on support payments, it had no direct control over the way Brexit negotiations were handled.
Mr Ewing said that while his party still wanted to see Brexit halted, it had been “realistic enough” to realise compromises were sometimes needed. He added: “Our position remains that we should stay within the single market and remain within the customs union.”
Instancing the level of disruption already affecting the industry, United Auction managing director George Purves said the rush among farmers in Southern Ireland to market cattle before March 29 had caused a spike in supplies entering the UK. He said: “This has this resulted in the decline in prices paid for Scottish beef by processors and wholesalers, one of which is now beginning to hit store sale prices.”
With the annual round of store sales just entering full swing, Purves said many of the big cattle finishers in Scotland who had to continue buying to keep through-put going – even in the face of falling returns – had been operating at a loss in recent months.
He added: “While they have tried to keep trade steady, there are signs the store trade is also beginning to slip, which could have considerable consequences for the whole sector.”