30 Farming
THE HERALD FRIDAY FEBRUARY 10 2017
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SIX months on since
the UK voted to leave the European Union and it has occupied our minds since then. The implications of the decision made by the nation will no doubt have long lasting consequences, and the farming industry is likely to feel the brunt of the changes to come, unless the UK government fully commits to protecting the sector. As part of the negotiations
Prime Minister Theresa May has already indicated that she would accept losing access to the single market and has been in talks with New Zealand to establish a potential free trade deal.
Of course, MP’s still have to
scrutinise the European Union Bill in more detail next week when it reaches the committee stage in the Commons but despite many amendments having already been made, there is still a distinct lack of clarity of where the agricultural sector will stand once outside of the European Union. We have previously written
to the then Prime Minister David Cameron highlighting our concerns regarding a free trade deal with a country which is in such direct competition with ourselves. Naturally, it was good to see that our Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs has acknowledged the threat such a deal would pose when she gave evidence at a recent Assembly’s Rural Affairs Committee. It is clear that the represented
opportunities
by such a deal can only be described as negligible,
given that New Zealand has a population of around 4.5 million, which is about one percent of the size of the EU, and is 11,500 miles away. Yes, this may be a great
opportunity for New Zealand, but the benefits for the UK as a whole are zero, and for agriculture are extremely negative. Gaining a market of 4.5
million consumers on the other side of the planet cannot make up for the potential loss of a 500 million consumer market on our doorstep! Our
devolved
administration doesn’t get a say in Brexit negotiations and with that in mind it was good to see that the Welsh Brexit white paper called on the UK Government to make good on promises that Wales would not lose funding as a result of Brexit, as well as calling for recognition that there needs to be a “fundamentally different” relationship between the devolved governments and the UK government. Devolution should be
respected within an overarching UK support framework in the context of making our withdrawal from the EU and as such we welcomed Theresa May’s commitment to work with the devolved administrations and her recognition that Wales is different to the rest of the UK.
That call has been mirrored
by Welsh Government and we will continue to work with them to develop a framework that takes Wales’ unique position into account.
Peter Rushforth:
Receiving his Scholarship award from HCC Head of Operations Prys Morgan A HIGH-FLYING butcher from
Mold will take to the skies this week to search out Stateside the specialist skills behind a range of new shopper- friendly succulent steaks. Peter Rushforth, of Swan’s Farm
Shop at Treuddyn, near Mold, has been awarded a Hybu Cig Cymru-Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) Scholarship to enable him to spend a month in the USA studying the cutting edge of beef butchery. In a short but already accomplished
career, Peter, 21, has racked up nearly as many butchery awards as he has lamb chops; Worldskills UK champion, Young Butcher of the Year, and HCC’s Welsh Young Butcher Champion in both 2014 and 2015. He left on Thursday (Feb 2) to
visit the Meat Animal Research Centre at Nebraska University. Then it’s onto Portland, Oregon, home of Olympia Provisions and charcuterie specialists Tails & Trotters; to Gary West Meats
in Jacksonville, Oregon before finally visiting the farm-to-restaurant set up at Belcampo Meats in Santa Monica, California. “I am interested in both adding
value to the forequarter – finding alternatives to the traditional mince usage – and also looking to diversify into cooked and cured meats alongside our premium fresh Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef products.” said Peter. He will explore recent US trends
to produce a wider range of forequarter steaks by combining good butcher’s skills with modern consumer needs. “Possibly the best known of these alternative steak cuts is the Flat Iron, which comes from the shoulder blade. It has more marbling than sirloin which means it needs to be carefully cut and then cooked appropriately – but it tastes great and is half the cost of sirloin.” Peter wants to learn the new butchery skills to make these steaks in
Mold from prime Welsh beef carcases. “A good butcher can add £300
to a beef carcase by maximising the quality cuts and minimising waste. By utilising these American-style cuts I can add a further 20-30 per cent to the forequarter, bringing better returns to the whole supply chain,” he said. Peter will return on March 6 to
submit a full report of his findings to HCC and then hold a number of speaking engagements throughout the year to pass on his experiences to other industry professionals. He will also join a very exclusive club - HCC’s past Scholars. James Ruggeri, HCC’s Industry Development Executive, said: “The HCC Scholarship Association now includes 49 people who have visited countries across the world. They have brought back a wealth of experience which is being shared with their peers in Wales.”
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