Balance of Trade ?

[Observer II]

I keep hearing of farmers bleating about where they'll be selling their food stocks post Brexit - so what exactly is the balance of trade with the EU ?   We know the EU will be short of fish;  but are they short of lamb and beef etc ?   Why can't we start eating our own produce, and divert production to food stuffs we currently import from the EU, or start importing from non-EU sources ?   

[Davy51]

You would think we would have an ideal spring board to get our farming industry up & running again to pre Common Market days.

[asperity]

If EU countries have been buying UK farm produce, they aren't going to stop unless their own governments introduce punishing tariffs.

[Observer II]

Whilst I realise the UK hasn't been self sufficient for some time and relies on imports; hence the U-boat threat in WW2;  I would have thought that the food we do produce would be consumed by our population,  even foods not associated with our climate can be grown here in giant greenhouses;  so why is there a problem with farming ?   Your right Asp;  they buy stuff we don't/won't eat from the UK and I can't see them accepting higher prices due to tariffs.  What annoys me is that we're importing rabbit from China, prawns from Madagascar; when they can be found/produced locally - if Brits adopted a more adventurist diet.   

[asperity]

You don't get more adventurous than Chinese Rabbit in Madagascar Prawn sauce 🐰🦐👩‍🍳

[Observer II]

Would you eat a rabbit from Wuhan ? !😉

[Bill]

I believe the Danes and Finns are doing cheap mink fillets if you’re not into eating bunnies.

They said on the news the other day, that Cheddar cheese from the continent would become more expensive due to tariffs. I would have thought that it could only come from Cheddar to be called that or maybe it was just a word mix up.

I don’t think anyone’s going to starve with all this, but prices may well change making the home-grown stuff more attractive and that bit fresher. Plus, if stuff doesn’t need to be transported quite as far, it may help the environment.

 

Bill

[Davy51]

Didn't they have court cases years ago that established that ,for arguments sake, Parma ham had to come from Parma ?

[asperity]

27 minutes ago, Bill said:

I believe the Danes and Finns are doing cheap mink fillets if you’re not into eating bunnies.

They said on the news the other day, that Cheddar cheese from the continent would become more expensive due to tariffs. I would have thought that it could only come from Cheddar to be called that or maybe it was just a word mix up.

I don’t think anyone’s going to starve with all this, but prices may well change making the home-grown stuff more attractive and that bit fresher. Plus, if stuff doesn’t need to be transported quite as far, it may help the environment.

 

Bill

Cheddar doesn't have the EU Protected Designation of Origin (PDO).  I don't know about Parma ham.

[Observer II]

Perhaps all food packaging should be labelled with Union Flag; the British one: so we can avoid EU products ?    

[Evil Sid]

Back to good old days of "Buy British"

[Observer II]

Have to wonder why we fear tariffs; if the EU kicks off with them, we just respond in kind  - tit for tat - sorted.    

[Evil Sid]

Time to get captain mainwaring and his mob involved.... although given the messing about by the various govs he may already be involved........🕵️‍♂️

[Observer II]

Apparently, while all this has been kicking off with the EU;  Liz Truss has signed 58 trade deals with the rest of the world.

[Observer II]

With perishable food rotting in waiting lorries; the S/Markets are having fresh fruit and veg flown in by air. Whilst full marks can go to the S/Markets for their prompt initiative; doesn't this say something about our dependency on food imports ?    Time for some major adaptations to our food production, like super-sized, robotised green houses. ? 

[Evil Sid]

Could they be organic as well obs?

 

[Observer II]

Presume so, there are already some companies doing this, but obviously not enough.