View from the Rostrum - Change in Government

Trade continues strong in all categories through the live ring, with slaughter sheep prices dearer on the year, and noticeably so on the 5-year average. The store lamb market has started strong, with buyers cautiously optimistic for the season ahead. Store cattle trade continues very strong, with numbers tight and demand high, it is very difficult to value stores until they enter the sale ring. This trade is helped by the strength of the slaughter cattle prices. Cull cows continue to achieve prices that no-one would have expected, with most auctioneers reporting an upward trend week on week for the past month.

A big question for us all - Does our new government truly appreciate the food that our farmers put on the table and the countryside that is farmed and managed by them? We will find out in the coming months. There have been few assurances announced so far to fill us all with hope or clarity as to how Labour will manage rural business support going forward.

Why is there an expectation that farmers should work tirelessly to produce “cheap” food, when in most cases the price paid is well below the true cost of production. Our livestock producers must receive a fair price for their goods and if this is not supported by the government, ex farm prices need to rise further. Our livestock farmers need a fair return to give the industry a chance to survive and build the confidence needed to re-invest in their businesses. The country needs to remind itself that no-one can survive without food and remember that the gap between a plentiful supply and a shortage is only a handful of days apart.

What exactly does Steve Reed, MP mean when he promises that food and farming are front and centre of Government policy. Does it mean that the agricultural budget will be ring fenced, increased, or reviewed? It is time to clarify and give farmers some degree of assurance.

For decades the LAA has worked tirelessly on behalf of it’s members and those farmers that use the live auction system. During the last government there was a lot of “unfinished business”, workstreams that had been put on hold due to Brexit, Covid, Avian Influenza, Bluetongue and then the General Election, the excuse used being that the departments were too short staffed to continue with meetings when dealing with such crisis. These and many other workstreams need to be re-visited and concluded. We have highlighted the need for the 6-day standstill, the ageing of sheep by dentition and fairness in the supply chain to be reviewed. Seven years after the start of the development of The Livestock Information Programme, we are still a long way away from the service bringing any benefits to the producer, or those industries that support the producer. 

I continue to chair the Livestock Chain Advisory Group, which is made up of representatives from 26 livestock industry trade bodies. The group meets every 2 weeks, with Defra, Welsh Government, Scottish Government and Daera joining on a monthly basis to discuss industry issues and concerns and to facilitate speakers on topics that we (industry) need more information. This platform gives us direct access into government, it also facilitates industry highlighting and discussing some of the major concerns that affect us all. 

One area of work that needs immediate government attention are our border controls, at all UK ports and airports. There are too many reports of illegal meat entering the UK through our borders due to a severe lack of funding, feet on the ground and controls being in place. Recent illegal consignments found have included meats from countries infected with African Swine Fever and Foot & Mouth. The 2001 FMD outbreak reportedly cost the UK £8 billion (£18 billion at today’s costs).

I sincerely hope that our new government will act swiftly and secure our borders, not just on the commercial import lanes, but also the private and domestic lanes, making sure that illegal imports of meat and other products are identified, seized and destroyed.

We look forward to working with our new Ministers to strengthen our industry and to keep it at the forefront of world livestock production.