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Farming Today: 01/12/20 - Lamb exports after Brexit transition; Antibiotic use

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01/12/20 - Lamb exports after Brexit transition; Antibiotic use

BBC Radio 4 - Farming Today, 01/12/20 - Lamb exports after Brexit transition; Antibiotic use

Is the lamb sector ready for the end of the Brexit transition period?

With just weeks to go, hauliers and lamb producers tell us they're still not clear what will be needed to continue exporting after January 1st.

As businesses around the country wait to hear whether a trade deal with the EU is any closer, we’re gauging whether the farming industry is ready for the end of the Brexit transition period. One sector which would be seriously affected if there were No Deal is sheep meat exports. About half the lamb produced in the UK is exported to the EU and a No Deal situation would mean those exports would incur a 40 percent tariff. We hear from DEFRA Secretary of State, George Eustice, about how "import substitution" could work.

Even if there is a deal with the EU, farmers and hauliers say they're still unclear about how exports of lamb meat are going to work come January. We hear from one haulier who describes preparing for Brexit as being "like taking an exam without knowing what to revise because you don't know the syllabus!" Meanwhile, from January all animal product exports will need an Export Health Certificate signed by a vet. The British Veterinary Association tells usit isn’t clear how many vets will be needed and where.

Campaigners want the UK to ban imports of meat from farms which use antibiotics as growth promoters, rather than to treat sick animals. The Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics says farmers in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the USA use the drugs as growth promoters in some livestock - something which has been banned in the EU since 2006.

Presented by Anna Hill
Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons

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