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Last week, the UFU called out both Sainsbury’s and Asda for stocking Polish-origin mince in stores in Britain in recent weeks.
At a time when farmers are seeing beef prices come down, and the wider public is being told by government to unite together to fight this terrible virus, the UFU was right to highlight this issue.
The perception given is that processors (in this case ABP) and retailers are only interested in protecting their margins, even at a time when farmers’ backs are to the wall.
However, it is important to put it all into context – the volume of beef (400t) was small when compared to the 280,000t of fresh and frozen beef imported into the UK each year.
In addition, it is noteworthy that reports suggested the Polish mince was difficult to sell, and for the longer term, the whole issue is a reminder to processors and retailers that if they offer imported beef, they will be found out and exposed.
Major British retailers are constantly telling consumers about their loyalty and support of local producers. They must deliver against those promises.
However, in reality, the issue of Polish beef is currently a sideshow when set against the mess the market is in at present.
With restaurants and catering outlets closed, there is virtually no market for sirloins and fillets.
We urgently need retailers to step up to the mark and promote these products, backed by UK levy bodies such as the LMC, QMS, AHDB and HCC.
Rainy day
Most of these levy bodies are sitting on huge reserves of cash received from farmers. In the case of the LMC, its last published accounts for 2015-2016 show it had cash reserves of £3.3m. These “rainy day” funds need to be spent now. If we can shift consumer demand away from mince, it will benefit the industry now, and in the longer term.
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