Pig World
  • News
      • Animal Health
      • Breeding
      • Business
      • Environment
      • EU
      • Food Safety
      • Housing
      • Marketing
      • NPA
      • National Pig Awards
      • New Products
      • Nutrition
      • People
      • Pig Fair
      • Politics
      • Training & Education
      • Welfare
  • Features
    • Animal Health
    • Breeding
    • Environment
    • Farm Visits
    • Herd Recording
    • Housing
    • Marketing
    • Nutrition
    • Products
    • Training
  • Comment
    • AHDB Pork
    • Chris Fogden
    • Dennis Bridgeford
    • Peter Crichton
    • Red Robin
    • Veterinary View
    • Zoe Davies, NPA
  • Numbers
  • Pig Prices
  • Magazines
    • May 2025
    • April 2025
    • March 2025
    • 2025 Buildings supplement
    • February 2025
    • 2025 Nutrition Supplement
    • January 2025
    • December 2024
    • November 2024
    • National Pig Awards supplement
    • October 2024
    • September 2024
    • August 2024
    • 2024 Pig Health supplement
    • July 2024
    • June 2024
    • Innovation supplement 2024
    • Pig & Poultry Fair Guide 2024
    • May 2024
    • April 2024
    • Buildings Supplement
    • March 2024
    • Pig Nutrition (Beyond Zinc)
    • February 2024
    • January 2024
    • December 2023
    • November 2023
    • National Pig Awards Supplement 2023
    • October 2023
    • September 2023
    • Health Supplement
  • Suppliers
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Classified
  • Events
    • Pigs Tomorrow
    • National Pig Awards
Podcast
Pig WorldPig World
  • News
      • Animal Health
      • Breeding
      • Business
      • Environment
      • EU
      • Food Safety
      • Housing
      • Marketing
      • NPA
      • National Pig Awards
      • New Products
      • Nutrition
      • People
      • Pig Fair
      • Politics
      • Training & Education
      • Welfare
  • Features
    • Animal Health
    • Breeding
    • Environment
    • Farm Visits
    • Herd Recording
    • Housing
    • Marketing
    • Nutrition
    • Products
    • Training
  • Comment
    • AHDB Pork
    • Chris Fogden
    • Dennis Bridgeford
    • Peter Crichton
    • Red Robin
    • Veterinary View
    • Zoe Davies, NPA
  • Numbers
  • Pig Prices
  • Magazines
    1. May 2025
    2. April 2025
    3. March 2025
    4. 2025 Buildings supplement
    5. February 2025
    6. 2025 Nutrition Supplement
    7. January 2025
    8. December 2024
    9. November 2024
    10. National Pig Awards supplement
    11. October 2024
    12. September 2024
    13. August 2024
    14. 2024 Pig Health supplement
    15. July 2024
    16. June 2024
    17. Innovation supplement 2024
    18. Pig & Poultry Fair Guide 2024
    19. May 2024
    20. April 2024
    21. Buildings Supplement
    22. March 2024
    23. Pig Nutrition (Beyond Zinc)
    24. February 2024
    25. January 2024
    26. December 2023
    27. November 2023
    28. National Pig Awards Supplement 2023
    29. October 2023
    30. September 2023
    31. Health Supplement
    Featured

    May 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    May 1, 2025
    Recent

    May 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    May 1, 2025

    April 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    April 4, 2025

    March 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    March 6, 2025
  • Suppliers
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Classified
  • Events
    • Pigs Tomorrow
    • National Pig Awards
LinkedIn X (Twitter)
Pig World
Brexit

NPA criticises ‘disappointingly thin’ Government response to Brexit report

Alistair DriverBy Alistair DriverOctober 12, 20173 Mins Read
LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email

The Government’s response to a report calling for protection for UK farmers from cheap, lower standard food imports post-Brexit has been condemned as ‘disappointingly thin’ by the NPA.

In July, the House of Lords EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee published a report based on its inquiry into the implications of Brexit for farm animal welfare.

Having taken evidence from various industry and animal welfare representatives, including the NPA’s Georgina Crayford (pictured, above), the committee concluded that the greatest threat to farm animal welfare standards post-Brexit would come from cheap, imported food produced to lower standards than the UK.

Unless consumers are willing to pay more, UK farmers could become uncompetitive and welfare standards in the UK could come under pressure, the report warned.

In its response, published this week, the Government agreed that it should seek to avoid high UK animal welfare standards potentially being undermined by lower standard imports but gave little indication about its views on how this could be achieved.

“There are a number of possible measures which could be adopted, including trade policy measures and this issue is under active consideration,” it said.

There was a little more substance in the Government’s response to the committee’s concerns over whether animal welfare can be used as a rationale to restrict imports from other countries under WTO rules.

It said: “A number of current EU trade agreements include commitments and provisions relating to animal welfare and this is something we wish to build upon where possible. We are already examining the requirements of WTO rules and recent developments in WTO case law and we continue to do so.”

Elsewhere, the Government made it clear it intends to retain our existing high standards of animal welfare once we have left the EU, with the EU (Withdrawal) Bill converting the existing body of EU animal welfare law into UK law.

It also agreed that the repatriation of farm animal welfare policy presents opportunities to ‘review and improve farm animal welfare standards and practices’, citing plans to make CCTV compulsory in abattoirs and to modernise statutory animal welfare codes as examples.

NPA response

Dr Crayford, who told the inquiry the NPA was adamant UK welfare standards must be sustained post-Brexit with equivalent standards applied to imports, said:

“The House of Lords report encapsulated all the concerns of the NPA and the wider UK livestock industry about the very real threat to the industry and consumers posed by lower standard imports.

“The Government’s response is disappointingly thin, paying lip service only to the concerns raised and offering very little in detail as to what it can do to address them. The commitment to build on provisions relating to animal welfare in existing trade agreements is welcome but more clarity is needed.

“We have a precedent – anyone connected to this industry will recall how the UK pig sector suffered when nothing was done to stop lower standard pork imports from the EU after we banned sow stalls in the late-1990s, while the rest of Europe carried on using them. This had a massive impact on domestic competitiveness and, ultimately, our production capacity.

“We will continue to make our concerns known as the Brexit negotiations unfold.”

Share. LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Email
Previous ArticleNPA expresses concern over rising straw prices
Next Article NPA EU labour survey is closed
Alistair Driver

Editor Pig World, group editor Agronomist and Arable Farmer and Farm Contractor. National Pig Association webmaster. Former political editor at Farmers Guardian. Occasional media pundit. Brought up on a Leicestershire farm. Works from a shed in his Oxfordshire garden.

Read Similar Stories

Red Tractor appoints farmer as chair for the first time

May 23, 2025

US-China trade tensions creating opportunities for Brazil and Europe – RaboResearch

May 23, 2025

AHDB CEO to join Sofina Foods later this year

May 22, 2025
Latest News

Red Tractor appoints farmer as chair for the first time

May 23, 2025

US-China trade tensions creating opportunities for Brazil and Europe – RaboResearch

May 23, 2025

AHDB CEO to join Sofina Foods later this year

May 22, 2025
Sponsored Content

THE GATEKEEPER OF RESPIRATORY HEALTH – MYCOPLASMA HYOPNEUMONIAE (M.HYO)

April 30, 2024

Tackle the root cause of PWD with free diagnostic tests

March 1, 2024
Current Pig Industry jobs
  • Senior-Level Pig Stockperson – Ref 1742 Norfolk

    • Norfolk
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
  • Pig Stockperson – Ref 1471 West Sussex

    • West Sussex
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
  • Pig Stockperson – Ref 1740 Norfolk

    • Norfolk
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
GETTING IN TOUCH
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Meet The Editors
  • About Us
  • Email Newsletters
  • Subscribe
  • Reuse permissions
OUR SOCIAL CHANNELS
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
PARTNER EVENTS
RELATED SITES
  • Farmers Weekly
  • Agronomist & Arable Farmer
  • Farm Contractor
  • National Pig Awards
  • Pigs Tomorrow
  • Poultry News
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
© 2024 MA Agriculture Ltd, a Mark Allen Group company

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.