Reliance On Meat Imports Grows

The general assumption has been that this was a natural progression in the face of cheap labour in the developing world.

Figures just released give a serious pointer to just how dependent the UK is now becoming on food imports, especially red meat and poultry. HM Revenue and Customs reckons that in the first nine months of this year imports of beef totalled 176,289 tonnes, an increase of more than 4,000 tonnes on the same period of 2006.

But that has to be considered in the context of the export statistics over the January to September period. In those months of 2007, which were severely hit by export restrictions following four cases of foot-and-mouth disease in Surrey, the outward trade in beef amounted to 45,288 tonnes.

This was almost 50 per higher than in the same months of the previous year, which obviously sounds positive. However, as every farmer and meat processor knows, trading conditions were extremely difficult during most of 2006.

Sign up for our
regular news updates

Latest Poultry Industry News

•   BIRD FLU: India to Tackle Bird Flu on a War Footing
•   Deadline Today for Live Chicken Trade
•   AFBF: Conversations on Animal Care Initiative Launched
•   USDA Awards $5 million for Avian Influenza Research
•   Turkey Manure as Biomass for Feed Mill
•   Chicken Farmers React against Celebrity Chef Show
•   Farm Animal Disease Warnings
•   Pfizer Revenues Rise
•   Big Dutchman Anniversaries: Company Hosted 450 Guests from Around the World
•   New House for 150,000 Layers in Spain