London | Reuters — The British government’s plans for a no-deal Brexit warn of severe disruption to cross-Channel routes, affecting the supply of medicines and certain types of fresh foods, and say that protests and counter-protests will take place across the country, accompanied by a possible rise in public disorder. The “Operation Yellowhammer” worst-case assumptions […] Read more
Worst-case no-deal Brexit plan warns of food shortages
British food lobby warns of food shortages from no-deal Brexit
London | Reuters — Britain will experience shortages of some fresh foods for weeks or even months if a disorderly no-deal Brexit leaves perishable produce rotting in lorries at ports, Britain’s food and drink lobby warned on Wednesday. Retailers such as Tesco have warned that leaving the European Union on Oct. 31 without a transition […] Read more
Beef exports to the European Union doubled last year
That growth is expected to continue as supply of EU eligible cattle grows
Reading Time: < 1 minute Year-end numbers for beef exports to the European Union show growth that is encouraging to Canadian and European farmers and ranchers alike. Canada exported 1,059 tonnes of beef to the EU last year, worth $15.5 million, according to Statistics Canada. That’s a 113 per cent increase in volume and 98 per cent increase in value […] Read more
Brexit crisis tipped for British asparagus
Ross-on-Wye, England | Reuters — For almost 100 years, Chris Chinn’s family has farmed asparagus in the rolling hills of the Wye Valley in western England. This year, he fears uncertainty around Britain’s departure from the European Union will keep his eastern European workers away and the asparagus will stay in the ground. Asparagus grown […] Read more
EU adopts post-Brexit import quotas for farm produce
Brussels | Reuters — The European Union on Monday adopted quotas for farming produce it will accept from third countries after Britain leaves the bloc and acknowledged this could happen before it has concluded talks with them on the subject. The EU has in place a series of tariff rate quotas, allowing agricultural producers such […] Read more
Britain faces fresh food bottleneck if no Brexit deal
London | Reuters — Britain faces a fresh food bottleneck if it drops out of the EU without a deal, the country’s largest supermarket group warned on Thursday, echoing comments from its biggest rival the previous day. As the country counts down to Brexit while politicians remain deadlocked over how best to oversee its departure […] Read more
Britain outlines post-Brexit farm policy in bill
London | Reuters –– Britain will introduce legislation on Wednesday for agricultural policy after it leaves the European Union that will link support for farmers to the provision of public benefits such as tackling climate change or preserving beautiful landscapes. The Agriculture Bill, primarily covering England, will provide the basis for policy in a sector […] Read more
Farmers demand invisible Irish border, post-Brexit
Florencecourt, Northern Ireland | Reuters — Northern Irish sheep farmers like John Sheridan collectively transport more than 1,000 lambs a day over the Irish border for slaughter and shipment to shoppers across the European Union. At the moment, the process is seamless. But Sheridan sees a threat to his life’s work, his family’s future and […] Read more
Britain reported looking to NAFTA if Brexit deal fails
London | Reuters — Britain could join a formal trade alliance with the United States, Canada and Mexico if the European Union refuses to clinch a post-Brexit trade deal, the Daily Telegraph newspaper reported on Tuesday. The newspaper said British ministers were looking at joining the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as part of […] Read more
The U.K. packs a lot of agriculture into a small space
British farmers need to get along with neighbouring communities, cut greenhouse emissions, and fend off cheap foreign competition
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s an area steeped in history and culture that is also a breadbasket of diverse agriculture. The United Kingdom is home to 214,000 farms, which nearly mirrors Canada’s 205,000 farms, although the average size is 142 hectares (or about half the size of the average Canadian operation). And though the farms may be the same […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
