Brexit 'Not too Negative' for Spanish Poultry Sector
SPAIN - The secretary general of the Interprofessional Association for Poultry and Chicken Meat in Spain (Propollo), Ángel Martín, believes that Brexit is not as negative for the Spanish sector as it is for the rest of the EU.
27 June 2016
2 minute read
By: In general, Mr Martín sees it as "a blow to the entire EU."
Speaking to Efeagro news agency, Mr Martín said Spain buys about 18,000 tons of chicken meat per year from the UK, but 11,000 tons is exported there, leaving a trade deficit of 7,000 tons. In hatching eggs, Spain imports about seven million eggs a year and sells about 700,000.
Mr Martín said he did not look too negatively at the Brexit situation, despite the significant trade between the two destinations.
It has been suggested that, if the British market is lost in the future, Spain would have to seek other partners to meet supply and demand.
In the UK, NFU Poultry Board Chairman, Duncan Priestner, said labour was the top priority for poultry in the negotiations: "Our main priority now will be to ensure we have a supply of people willing to work on our farms and in our processing plants. In the EU, free labour movement has been good for the poultry industry – economic migration remains high on our list."
