A Parliamentary motion has been tabled calling for Government, the supply chain and consumers to back the UK livestock sector’s high welfare standards post-Brexit.
Daniel Kawczynski, Conservative MP for Shrewsbury & Atcham, tabled the Early Day Motion (EDM), which highlights the need to maintain high British farming animal welfare standards after we leave the EU.
The EDM, a mechanism generally deployed to raise awareness about a particular issue, has arisen from the regular meetings of the UK Livestock Brexit Group, a collaboration of various UK farming organisations, including NPA.
The group is concerned that new trade deals forged after we leave the EU could leave the UK vulnerable to cheaper, lower standard imported products.
In full, Mr Kawczynski’s EDM, which can be viewed here, states:
“That this House commends British farmers for adhering to world leading standards of animal health and welfare within farmed livestock; urges retailers, processors and consumers to support those production standards by sourcing and buying British produce wherever possible; and calls on the Government to ensure that it supports British farmers in maintaining these standards as the UK leaves the EU, whilst fulfilling the Government’s ambitions on efficiency and productivity and protects against the importation of livestock products produced to lower standards of health and welfare in other parts of the world.”
The EDM has quickly gained support from across the political divide, including MPs representing the Conservatives, Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National Party.
The National Pig Association (NPA) is urging members and anyone connected to the pig industry to contact their MPs and encourage them to sign it.
NPA senior policy advisor Georgina Crayford said: “The UK pig industry is rightly proud of its high welfare standards and it is very important that this position is maintained after we leave the EU.
“It is, as the EDM states, about getting consumers, processors and retailers behind our fantastic British pork but also about the Government ensuring it does not expose the country in any new trade deals to cheap imports produced to lower standards than ours.