Devon farmers profit as EU takes a prime cut of our beef exports (Archived)
Beef farming and Devon鈥檚 beef industry could be under threat if the UK left the EU, Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss warned today.
Ninety-three per cent of all our beef exports went to the EU in 2015 and so beef farmers could lose millions of pounds of business if they lost access to the vital EU single market.
From steak frites to boeuf bourguignon, hamburgers to hach茅e, high-quality British beef is used in classic dishes across Europe, with 92,000 tonnes, worth 拢320million, heading to our EU neighbours last year. Devon plays a central role in this with the region鈥檚 farmers making up over 35 per cent of beef farms in the South West.
Overall, 75 per cent of all food and drink exports from the South West, worth 拢420m, headed for EU countries last year. It is far from certain what trading relationship the UK would have with the EU should the UK leave - farmers could face crippling tariffs to sell their goods to Europe and a red tape 鈥榙ouble whammy鈥� of different rules around inspections and labelling to sell abroad and at home 鈥� two sets of regulations, rather than one.
Speaking ahead of her visit to the Devon County Show today, Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss said:
Devon is home to more than a third of all the beef farms in the South West, and its farmers benefit from having the world鈥檚 largest single market of half a billion customers on their doorstep, buying 93 per cent of our beef exports.
This European market is vital not just for Devon鈥檚 farmers, who are rearing top-quality beef cattle, but for the county鈥檚 huge food manufacturing sector, which creates even more local jobs. Leaving the EU is a leap in the dark which would put these jobs at risk and threaten the livelihoods of the region鈥檚 60,000-plus agricultural workers.
Farmers in Devon and across the UK, are safer, stronger and better off as part of a reformed EU.
EU member Ireland is the biggest consumer of British beef, with exports there worth 拢110m in 2015, followed by the Netherlands and France. By comparison, last year our beef exports to non-EU countries were worth a mere 拢23m. Our farmers don鈥檛 have to face the high tariffs that some other countries do to trade with the EU鈥攗p to 70 per cent for beef products鈥攚hich could cost around 拢240million per year and decrease our competitiveness.
Devon beef farmers also enjoy EU Protected Food Name status for their West Country Beef鈥攋oining an elite club of products across Europe awarded this prestigious status, such as Feta cheese and Parma ham. This recognition protects West Country Beef from imitation, helps consumers recognise the product as traditional and authentic, and acts as a valuable mark of quality in the competitive international marketplace.
Producers who register their beef for protection benefit from raised awareness of their product throughout Europe, helping them take advantage of consumers鈥� increasing awareness of the importance of regional and speciality foods and giving a boost in sales to help grow the local economy.
Rearing cattle for beef was the second-greatest contributor, after dairy, to the farming sector鈥檚 output in the South West in 2014, accounting for 拢351m.
Further information
- Figures sourced from and Defra Agricultural Statistics
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