Dairy and meat exports down 96% due to Brexit

[Jostler]

It’s been a perfect storm with Brexit and Covid, and I don’t think we can deny the latter has obviously played a part, we won’t won’t know the true picture until things across Europe are fully open again.

However saying that, for a number of farmers, the revenue they received from EU subsidies was the difference between profit and loss and I can’t understand those in that situation, voting for Brexit.

 

[Corcaigh_the_Cat]

For the same reason we have more children going into school dinners on a Monday and a Friday than every other day of the week. Them two days are usually the first and last decent meal they will get all weekend. Not everyone can afford to buy meat for the household and we all know who is to blame for that.

People who normally eat in restaurants and pubs can afford to.

 

[Corcaigh_the_Cat]

It’s been a perfect storm with Brexit and Covid, and I don’t think we can deny the latter has obviously played a part, we won’t won’t know the true picture until things across Europe are fully open again.

However saying that, for a number of farmers, the revenue they received from EU subsidies was the difference between profit and loss and I can’t understand those in that situation, voting for Brexit.

That's the big one. We've spent big on Covid, can we afford to give out EU size subsidies to the farmers, or allow prices to rise, which due to the state of the economy will cause unrest.

 

[Laughing]

Possibly Norman- but the article is only about exports attributable to Brexit

With restaurants shut in the EU you would expect a drop off in trade, not 90 odd my though.

 

[Norman_Conquest]

People who normally eat in restaurants and pubs can afford to.

Would you say more people eat in restaurants or in schools?

Both of these must impact on consumption - I know my diet changed dramatically during lockdown and was eating more and can tell when I put my jeans on. Not everyone is in that position and during lockdown had to cut their cloth accordingly.

 

[Boro4life]

Great news people should not be exporting food we should be eating local UK food for UK people in order to stop the climate crisis

 

[Norman_Conquest]

With restaurants shut in the EU you would expect a drop off in trade, not 90 odd my though.

That is why I said do we need to look at the bigger picture. I would bet exports to the EU down in all areas due to the impact of Brexit, but you also need to take into account other factors.

 

[Corcaigh_the_Cat]

Great news people should not be exporting food we should be eating local UK food for UK people in order to stop the climate crisis

Absolutely, we should be cutting back on consumption all together.

Create a new normal where we're not doing so much damage.

 

[Laughing]

That is why I said do we need to look at the bigger picture. I would bet exports to the EU down in all areas due to the impact of Brexit, but you also need to take into account other factors.

Of course. Brexit whilst bad came at an awful time. The EU did offer Johnson a 2 year extension to the initial withdrawl period due to covid and he said no. Based on, you can only assume, his own political ambition. There was no need for that decision at all.

If he doesn't care about bodies piled high he certainly won't care about peoples livelihoods.

 

[Jostler]

That's the big one. We've spent big on Covid, can we afford to give out EU size subsidies to the farmers, or allow prices to rise, which due to the state of the economy will cause unrest.

That’s a good point, as far as I know there was some form of replacement planned, however I’ll be honest I haven’t looked how it stacked up against what was previously on the table.

The following posts from my last one have made me think. This is one side of the coin, how much have imports of similar products fallen? And have UK products filled that gap.

I generally try to buy British and where possible local, and genuinely love the story behind and connection to the food I eat because of it, so there’s a small part of me relishing some of the produce I may be able to get my hands on, which usually goes abroad. but appreciate this isn’t a luxury everyone has.

 

[newusername]

Great news people should not be exporting food we should be eating local UK food for UK people in order to stop the climate crisis

"Dairy and meat exports down 96% - Brexit a great step to help Britain reduce the climate crisis" wasn't written on the side of any bus, leaflet, tv or fb advert. It didn't feature it any of Brexshitters think tank authorised focus group approved well rehearsed bon mots on QT.

Brexit is not based on being beneficial in any real sense, to you to me today, it is a will-o'-the-wisp of an idea, an illusion, a delusion and a hallucination.

Formed when middle aged middle managers wrapped themselves in the Union Flag & strummed themselves to ecstasy over a picture of Thatcher while screaming "Sovereignty" and imaging British GunBoat Diplomacy while ruling the waves & an Empire once more. It fed on the rage of the haute bourgeoisie that the EU stopped them from raping the environment if they wanted and working people to death for a pittance for profit. It grew on the fear of the petite bourgeoisie that Britain was already full, yes full of scroungers that wanted their money, yet the EU wanted to send more our way and we were powerless to stop it. The proletariat learned to hate the EU despite its worker protections & the free movement of labour, receiving a constant stream of lies about its endless red tape, cost & bureaucracy, its obsession with non-bendy bananas, & for cats with human rights.

There is no substance to Brexit, no rational argument for it, you can go through line by line & demonstrate that Project Fear was Project Reality and it will change not one Brexit mind, shift not a single point of view.

Which is exactly why it is pointless discussing it with them, they've bought the cap, they've drank the kool-aid, sensible debate with them ceased sometime ago. When it is brought up, smile politely, decline to comment and wait for them to die. It won't be long. We can then get back to being a normal country with normal relations with our neighbours, not some bi-polar nutcase shouting about the benefits of not exporting to our closest market while signing trade deals and extolling the virtues of being part of the global trading alliance with markets on the other side of the world.

It will be all back to normal before we can say "Pork Markets" while looking as pleased as a toddler showing you a full potty.

 

[jeff_potato]

I only know one farmer, granted, but they told me that the rise in lamb prices last year should offset their initial hits from Brexit this year. Subsidies are kept level for a while yet, then it will be down to business efficiencies and hope that the meat prices stay steady too.

I think that Tesco end up picking up most of his meat, but he told me that Aldi and Lidl are very supportive of British meat. i think it's Asda who pick up one of the smaller shares of the market. Under British ownership they may be able to buy more British and balance export issues?

I can't help but think that the fishing industry has more to worry about from Seaspiracy, which every colleague has told me about over the past week. Bigger issue than Brexit if the wider public are paying as much attention!

 

[red_harrington]

Great news people should not be exporting food we should be eating local UK food for UK people in order to stop the climate crisis

While we're at it, let's stop all imports and exports of everything. Cos we just don't need 'stuff', right?

All we will ever need, is on our doorstep

 

[Adi_Dem]

Still the blind, delusional denial continues.

 

[ThePrisoner]

I only know one farmer, granted, but they told me that the rise in lamb prices last year should offset their initial hits from Brexit this year. Subsidies are kept level for a while yet, then it will be down to business efficiencies and hope that the meat prices stay steady too.

So the benefit is higher food prices for everyone? Back of the net!

 

[SilentProf]

This new trade deal with Australia will certainly add some competition to the market.

 

[SmallTown]

I watched a report on a dairy farmer who was considering pouring his milk down the drain because sales were being down due to Covid. His usually buyers (schools, restaurants & pubs) had closed due to lockdown.

Do we need to look at the bigger picture here before we blame Brexit.

No

 

[SmallTown]

So the benefit is higher food prices for everyone? Back of the net!

Some of us have been saying this for years now. It was dismissed as project fear. The sad thing about the blinkered selfish attitude of many brexitists is they think I'm alright jack and therefore keep supporting it. Until they end up paying more for everything. Maybe then they'll realise how stupid it it

 

[Corco65]

How did you manage to find out how all the farmers and dairy owners voted? I thought the referendum was meant to be secret ballot. Shows what I know!!

I thought you would know everything about Brussels!

 

[Andy_W]

The EU has not stopped eating fish, dairy and meat, due to the pandemic, but it is fair to assume that prices of such, from us, will now incur additional costs, problems, paperwork or time (freshness) delays. These costs, reliability, paperwork and times going up certainly mean more competition problems for the UK, so now we’re basically just losing out, as the EU will find it simpler and cheaper to buy from the EU, or find alternatives, and they have that choice, of course. We also get some good choices, like we have the choice to buy cars and fresh fruit from New Zealand....oh wait

Some may be partial teething problems, but the cost isn’t, that’s here to stay. Once these EU companies switch suppliers, it will be twice as hard to get them back.

The EU also might now just think “support EU food”, no “brexiteer” can argue with them doing that, surely? I don’t expect them to cut of their nose, to spite their face though, not anywhere near as much as the “brexiteers” anyway.

How much goes to restaurants, 50% at best? How much of that then normally would get made up by more people eating at home, 50%? Those example numbers only work out to cover 25% of the loss, so what about the other 75%?

I would expect the ‘brexiteers” to be saying, they need to “get over it”, and sell more to the rest of the world. Not sure how they’re meant to do that cheaply and quickly, and sell to nations which can already buy cheaper/ quicker locally, and also fresher.