Announcement Tomorrow on Banning Live Exports and More Restrictions On Domestic Journeys

[Frank-the-Wool]

Tomorrow there will be an announcement of the start of an eight week consultation on Live exports and all journey times for livestock.
While this was flagged up by George "Useless" it is no surprise that another difficult issue is being put into the melting pot with our supposed leaving the EU in 4 weeks time.

However while the headlines for TV and the media will be the "banning of live exports", a review of all animal transport is to be undertaken with pressure to reduce journey times for all stock and potentially increase restrictions on travelling in adverse weather conditions. It is also being suggested that time in markets will no longer be neutral time but considered in journey time.
Live exports and livestock transport have long been a target for all animal rights organisations and there is a strong feeling that the government wishes to appease these groups and probably the PM's partner.

With the continued loss of small abattoirs and ever increasing centralisation of supermarket supply this will be an interesting consultation.
There is of course the issue of Ireland, will they also stop all those Irish ewes going to Longtown or the lambs that go the other way and are slaughtered in Southern Ireland!!

 

[flowerpot]

Doesn't seem that logical to get so het up about travelling sheep and cattle when a racehorse travels from one end of the country to the other, has a rest in the racecourse stable, runs it race and then travels all the way back home again.

 

[aangus]

Tomorrow there will be an announcement of the start of an eight week consultation on Live exports and all journey times for livestock.
While this was flagged up by George "Useless" it is no surprise that another difficult issue is being put into the melting pot with our supposed leaving the EU in 4 weeks time.

However while the headlines for TV and the media will be the "banning of live exports", a review of all animal transport is to be undertaken with pressure to reduce journey times for all stock and potentially increase restrictions on travelling in adverse weather conditions. It is also being suggested that time in markets will no longer be neutral time but considered in journey time.
Live exports and livestock transport have long been a target for all animal rights organisations and there is a strong feeling that the government wishes to appease these groups and probably the PM's partner.

With the continued loss of small abattoirs and ever increasing centralisation of supermarket supply this will be an interesting consultation.
There is of course the issue of Ireland, will they also stop all those Irish ewes going to Longtown or the lambs that go the other way and are slaughtered in Southern Ireland!!

Not just Longtown mart, I believe there are many more marts that these Irish ewes show up at and I'm not a fan of this practice.

 

[kfpben]

It is imperative all livestock farmers engage with this consultation as much as possible. We cannot afford to have trade restricted on the basis of bad science, no science, and emotion.

 

[Clive]

could this not maybe benefit local producers and fuel demand for more local abattoirs ?

ie if we ban or restrict live exports surely we apply the same regs to live imports ?

 

[kfpben]

could this not maybe benefit local producers and fuel demand for more local abattoirs ?

ie if we ban or restrict live exports surely we apply the same regs to live imports ?

I don't see the Europeans exporting many live sheep to the UK.

Journey times are a big issue. Hundreds of thousands, possibly millions of store lambs and breeding ewes will move from the mountains to the low ground each year. Restrictions on this trade will kill upland farming.

Anything that reduces competition is to be avoided.

 

[Clive]

I don't see the Europeans exporting many live sheep to the UK.

Journey times are a big issue. Hundreds of thousands, possibly millions of store lambs and breeding ewes will move from the mountains to the low ground each year. Restrictions on this trade will kill upland farming.

Anything that reduces competition is to be avoided.

im sure i read we import as much sheep meat annually as we export ? .......... which sounds crazy

 

[gone up the hill]

im sure i read we import as much sheep meat annually as we export ? .......... which sounds crazy

Except for breeding stock it is meat and not animals!

Look at it this way Clive, you may think its a good idea to restrict the length of journey/ amount of travelling time for animals, well imagine that the Gov decided that all grain must be sold to the nearest mill/ port to the farm it was grown at... What would that do for your grain price??

This gov have totally lost the plot, they seem hell bent on destroying every industry in the country be that pubs/ nightclubs/ farming etc etc..

 

[Hindsight]

im sure i read we import as much sheep meat annually as we export ? .......... which sounds crazy

Don't know why I am replying as I have not a clue, but hey, does Uk not import much of that meat as carcasses? Even Princess Hotty Totty can't be concerned about travelling time for corpses - surely - but then again one never knows with these influential metropolitan types. Do correct me as I am sure I am muddled - and must learn on a boring evening not to post on threads I have been browsing.

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

could this not maybe benefit local producers and fuel demand for more local abattoirs ?

ie if we ban or restrict live exports surely we apply the same regs to live imports ?

Not sure who will fund any new abattoirs, even a small one if you could get planning for it would be well over a million.
I believe the only live sheep that come in are the Irish ewes and probably some lambs from Northern Ireland.

Probably best to let the Irish ewes go through our auction system as that way the price will be better than if they are dumped on the dead weight.

 

[Werzle]

Will it help support local livestock markets? Im not a fan of live exports tbh so not bothered if they do ban them. No doubt stock will find its way to southern ireland and then away into europe just like the horses destined for foreign slaughterhouses

 

[gone up the hill]

Will it help support local livestock markets? Im not a fan of live exports tbh so not bothered if they do ban them. No doubt stock will find its way to southern ireland and then away into europe just like the horses destined for foreign slaughterhouses

No it will more than likely drive more livestock markets out of business!

Say for example they put an 10 hour limit on travel including being at a livestock market, it would be totally unworkable, take store cattle, picked up from the sellers farm at 5 am, get to market, by the time all cattle are sold and the hauliers can load will be at least 2 pm, by the time they get to the buyers farm could easily be 8/9 pm that day and even if it was a local buyer there is no way you would get all the cattle onto the farm by 3 pm!..

Would need to be at least a 16 hour time limit if including time at market.

No doubt its Carrie that is beyond all this nonsense!

 

[Top Tip.]

There’s a big problem brewing for producers up here in the highlands for example sheep coming out of Shetland can be12 hours on the boat before they get to Aberdeen ,what are they going to do if they start to restrict journey times. Get off and swim??

 

[Wolds Beef]

It certainly could interfere with pedigree breeding stock as it is moved by truck all over the country. For instance there are Lincoln Red Herds in Cornwall, Aberdeenshire and on Orkney imagine if they restrict journey times on those as our main Sales are in or near Lincolnshire!
WB

 

[kfpben]

There’s a big problem brewing for producers up here in the highlands for example sheep coming out of Shetland can be12 hours on the boat before they get to Aberdeen ,what are they going to do if they start to restrict journey times. Get off and swim??

Another reason that banning live exports makes no sense.
WTF is the difference between livestock taking a ferry from an island to the mainland and livestock crossing the Channel!?

 

[Sid]

im sure i read we import as much sheep meat annually as we export ? .......... which sounds crazy

Local lorry driver took a bulker load of potatoes to Spain, then loaded with different potatoes and brought them back to the UK.

Animals should travel the minimal distances as possible to slaughter but need to be able to travel substantial distance at times with care and attention.

I have refused to send cattle from here in SW at 7 am to collection centre, then onward for next day kill in SE for a few pence more.

 

[Top Tip.]

Up here in the north of Scotland we have to have the ability to move animals over long distances,for the simple reason we are a long way from our customers. I have told it on here before but I used to send lambs to Anglesey for slaughter, they were loaded here at 5-6 pm landed down there at 4–5 am straight off the lorry onto the line . These lambs were killing out better than going to any scottish abattoir which tells its own story.

 

[Ysgythan]

Every farmer who voted Leave and Tory in 2019 asked for this. Johnson was banging this drum in his leadership campaign. Zero sympathy.

 

[Bury the Trash]

Every farmer who voted Leave and Tory in 2019 asked for this. Johnson was banging this drum in his leadership campaign. Zero sympathy.

I would've given a you like for that all but the 'zero sympathy' bit. Wouldnt hurt to edit that out imho.

 

[Ysgythan]

I would've given a you like for that all but the 'zero sympathy' bit. Wouldnt hurt to edit that out imho.

that’s how strongly I feel. When I read this first thing I was livid. I had a look at social media on my tea break. Farmers were pushing anti vax conspiracy theories. The news were on about “climate change busting” test tube meat and what was our response? Even in our little bubbles? Bugger all. What’s the Blydi point.