Defra denial of sheep cull plan fails to calm fears
While the UK Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) rejected any suggestion that a widespread cull was being considered as part of the contingency plan for the sheep sector in the face of a no-deal Brexit, farming bodies moved to express their outright opposition to such an option.
Agricultural organisations said that while they recognised the need for measures to support the industry if sky-high World Trade Organisation (WTO) tariffs on exports to Europe halted the trade, they simply could not accept the proposal – which they said Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay had refused to rule out earlier this week – that millions of sheep would need to be slaughtered.
NFU Scotland president Andrew Mccornick said that the slaughter of sheep in the event of market failure would be “publicly unpalatable, politically unviable and wholly unacceptable to me”.
He argued, instead that “first and foremost”, a nodeal Brexit and the associated tariff impacts should be avoided for the sake of every agricultural sector in Scotland, but recognising that export markets for sheep were particularly exposed in such an event he added: “There are far better solutions to any potential market failure that would positively support the sector through such a crisis in a way that would promote continued sheep production in Scotland in the future.”
The National Sheep Association said that the problem was exacerbated by the fact that a no-deal Brexit at the end of October would coincide with peak lamb marketing.
“Even if the UK obtains third country status with the EU, allowing it to continue trading with France and other major buyers of UK lamb, this would likely result in the implementation of WTO tariffs,” said national president Bryan Griffiths.
He said that the industry would face huge problems if a 40-50 per cent tariff was slapped on the 96 per cent of exports which went to Europe: “However, the solution isn’t just to shoot the animals – the government must work closely with our industry to be creative in its thinking to find the best way forward to underpin the sheepmeat export market until we can regain lost ground.”
A Defra spokesperson said that despite claims by shadow Brexit secretary Jenny Chapman that contingency plans were in place for the slaughter and burial of nine million animals, a widespread cull of livestock was “absolutely not something that the government anticipates nor is planning for in the event of no deal”.
“We have contingency plans in place to minimise any disruption, and we have made it clear we will use our power to intervene to provide direct support to the most vulnerable sectors, such as sheep farmers, if required.”
She said that Defra Secretary of State, Michael Gove had stated last year that “we are not going to have the mass slaughter of lambs or sheep”, adding that position had not changed.