The SNP has called for the Tory government to deliver a major compensation package for farmers, producers and exporters of meat – after produce worth hundreds of thousands has been left rotting at the border due to Brexit costs, red tape and bureaucracy.
A report in today’s Times underlines the damage done to farmers and producers, with meat exporters warning the industry is being crippled by Brexit red tape.
DH Foods said it had five containers of fresh pork stuck in Rotterdam for a fortnight “completely rotten” due to added paperwork.
Another exporter said it had 115 tonnes of meat – valued at ยฃ500,000 – impounded in Calais.
It comes as the British Meat Processor Association warned meat exports to the EU are at 20% of normal levels and said:
โThe new post-Brexit customs system for meat products is convoluted, archaic and badly implemented.
โIf continental supermarkets are unable to have products delivered the way they need them to be, this trade will simply be lost as EU customers abandon UK suppliers and source product from European processors.โ
At the same time, buyers in the EU have said they are looking at alternative suppliers in Europe, including Spain and Ireland.
French meat importer Fory Viandes told the BBC:
“The delays and extra costs mean me and my competitors in the market are obliged to start looking for other solutions.
โOne of the solutions unfortunately is to try produce from other countries, Spain for instance.
โSome of our competitors are ordering lambs from Ireland instead of the UK, so the consequences for UK meat and UK lambs could be disastrous.”
Commenting, SNP Spokesperson for Agriculture and Rural Affairs Dave Doogan MP said:
โThe Tory lies and broken promises on Brexit have been completely exposed as farmers, producers and exporters find their meat rotting at the border due to a mountain of extra costs, red tape and barriers to trade with Europe, the world’s largest single market.
โWe have all seen the devastating impact Boris Johnson’s poor Brexit deal has had on our fishing industry but it is inflicting harm across every part of Scotland – with meat and food exporters losing millions of pounds in lost produce and sales due to added costs and delays.
โThree weeks have passed and the problems are increasing.
โThe Tories are doing nothing to fix the fundamental problem, which is the added paperwork, bureaucracy and costs that their abysmal deal has created, including systems and processes that donโt work and were never properly tested.
โThis is down to Tory incompetence and broken promises.
โThey must fix the mess they created.
โThe Tory government must deliver a multi-billion-pound package of compensation for Scotland – including major compensation for Scottish farmers, producers and meat exporters.
โWe are seeing a tale of two Unions – with Ireland getting โฌ1.05billion from the EU Brexit mitigation fund, while Scotland is yet to receive a single penny in compensation from the UK government.
โScottish Government analysis shows Brexit could cost Scotland’s economy ยฃ9billion compared to EU membership.
โThe Warwick study estimates it has already cost Scotland ยฃ3.94billion.
โBoris Johnson must bring forward a serious offer of compensation instead of the pittance so far.
โScotland has been completely ignored by Westminster throughout the Brexit process and we are now being forced to pay a devastating price against our will.
โThe only way to protect Scotland’s interests and our place in Europe is to become an independent country.”