Meat levy ‘sore’ will be lanced in new legislation
Cross party support for an amendment to the UK Agriculture Bill which will bring about the longsought “repatriation” of red meat levies is excellent news for the industry, it has been claimed.
And industry bodies said such a move will deliver the right framework to address a long-running sore which sees an estimated £1.5 million of statutory levies on cattle and sheep born and reared in Scotland – but slaughtered in England – retained south of the Border each year.
Alan Clarke, chief executive of Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), welcomed the proposed amendment as an “equitable resolution” to the issue, saying that, if adopted, it would allow QMS to use levy collected from Scottish livestock slaughtered elsewhere in GB for the benefit of Scottish producers, rather than being retained by the levy body in the country of slaughter.
However, he added that the move would not prevent QMS from contributing levy funding towards collaborative projects with the English and Welsh levy bodies which would benefit producers in all three countries.
NFU Scotland president
Andrew Mccornick said that the bill had provided the long-awaited opportunity to change primary legislation: “NFU Scotland has lobbied MPS to ensure that the Agriculture Bill addresses the issue of red meat levy and we are glad to see swift progress. Scottish farmers want flexibility in whether our levy is spent in Scotland or in the UK for industry activities.”
Scotland’s rural economy secretary, Fergus Ewing, said he too would be delighted to see such an outcome: “It is only right that the levy bodies have the ability to repatriate levy monies across borders and I congratulate the industry – and especially QMS – on their tireless efforts in persuading the UK government on the need to deliver this change.” l A move from tooth eruption to an agreed calendar date for judging when a sheep is aged over a year will save the industry millions of pounds, it has been claimed.
Additional slaughter requirements, including the need to split carcases and remove spinal tissue, must be undertaken for sheep aged over a year and the long-sought change to make this a simpler task will come into operation on 30 June next year.
National Sheep Association chief executive Phil Stocker, welcoming the move, said: “It’s an example of what can be achieved by organisations working together, and an example too of what can be done through constructive and supportive working between industry and regulators.”
He estimated that checking for tooth eruption cost the UK sheep industry around £24ma year in time and reduced value.
NFU Scotland livestock chairman Charlie Adam added the move would give sheep finishers more certainty and allow them to plan ahead.