Cross-party backing for changes to red meat levy distribution

Scottish farmers might be forgiven for thinking that moves to ensure that revenues from the red meat levy are fairly distributed across Great Britain are like buses – for, after waiting for years, two come along at once.

Taking the form of amendments to the UK Agriculture Bill, moves to address the estimated £1.5 million of levy funding which is lost to Scotland due to animals being slaughtered south of the Border were put forward at Westminster by both SNP and Scottish Conservative MPS.

The levy supports activities such as marketing, research and training to improve competitiveness and profitability in the red meat industry. An interim arrangement which has seen £2m put into a panuk promotional fund is currently in operation as a stop-gap measure.

Colin Clark, Conservative MP for Gordon, said his amendment would ensure the red meat levy collected by a body in one country within Great Britain would be paid to the body in the country in which the animal had been reared. He said: “If passed, this will be a win for Scottish farmers. Quality Meat Scotland would receive part of the levy from Scottish farmers who get their livestock slaughtered in England or Wales, where previously they would have not.”

The move came a day after SNP MPS in Westminster had also tabled a list of amendments to the same bill, which included proposals to address the issue – claiming that the levy scandal had seen Scottish farmers robbed of £12m in recent years.