The value of UK poultry exports to the EU is declining by 70%

A sharp drop in meat exports from the UK to the EU since the beginning of this year

Overall poultry exports fell 69% in the first quarter of the year, further affecting business credibility. According to UK government figures, the size of the chicken is reduced by 62% and the value is reduced by 67%, from about 90m to just 30m.

The reason for the fall was difficulties with the Brexit bureaucracy and interruptions on the border between the UK and the EU. As Great Britain is now classified as a “third country”, British companies are subject to a number of requirements imposed on imports, including international health and phytosanitary regulations (SBS).

As part of the SBS Certification Working Group, the British Poultry Council urges the government to address the serious impact of trade on a new three-dimensional approach:

• Negotiation of a mutual animal husbandry agreement with Britain and the European Union and then Northern Ireland and later the European Union and the UK to alleviate food and food trade issues when import restrictions come into force. Shape fit is essential for an active and time-sensitive business.
• Upgrade existing systems to eliminate bureaucracy and reduce time, errors and costs. It includes an ultimate first-to-last integrated electronic documentation system that uses existing technology to ease the clutter and delays of paper-based systems.
• Review review and certification requirements that maintain integrity and competitiveness. The urgency of this cannot be underestimated, the BBC argues, as we begin the countdown to implementing full GB import restrictions, which will further extend systems and resources.

The BBC’s CEO Richard Griffiths said: “The bureaucracy of third party trade is eroding the ability and profit to export animal products to the EU and the NI. If the export sectors, including poultry, are to survive and thrive under the Global Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) established by Global Britain, new ways of managing this system must be arranged to ensure the credibility of British businesses in the future.

“The government must engage with the EU to create an organization that works against exporters. Without government support to invest in adequate resources and systems, we can expect a detrimental effect on the sustainability of the British poultry business and our continued ability to feed the nation.”

Figures released by the NFU at the beginning of the year show that the UK exports 19% of total poultry production. Of these, 70% of poultry exports go to the EU, which is valued at $ 192 million in 2019, most of which are dark meat because UK consumers are showing a strong preference for breast meat.