EU could still set tariffs if standards lowered for a US deal
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Food for Thought column by Russell Smith
Well it seems that a Brexit bad deal IS better than no deal despite what we were told. Who would have thought it?
Actually everybody except a few present and former UK Prime Ministers.
The deal allows tariff and quota free access to the EU market for lamb as long as we follow EU standards on animal welfare, the environment etc (but with increased cost for paperwork and certification especially for breeding animals).
The UK has the right to deviate from these standards but the EU has the right to then impose tariffs.
So, if the UK government lowers standards to secure a trade deal with the US, we could again be facing the prospect of tariffs and the loss of our main export market, even if Scotland maintains high standards. The saga is not over yet.
Meanwhile, Northern Ireland remains close to the EU – “the best of both worlds” according to Michael Gove – a deal denied to Scotland.
The Scottish Government is setting up a Hill, Upland and Crofting Group to develop proposals on how to cut emissions and tackle climate change. The Scottish Crofting Federation has a representative on this group.
It is likely that new support mechanisms will be linked in some way to measures to mitigate climate change so this is important.
We have to come up with proposals that produce food from hill ground, retain population in remote areas and improve the environment for wildlife, carbon capture and to attract tourists. Tricky but not impossible.
Crofting will be pivotal to this balance and already, to my mind, achieves these objectives.
But we won’t see grants for planting trees on deep peat or re-seeding rough grazing again.
We can probably all plant a few more trees for shelter and use less fertilizer and diesel which will help. I have reduced my fertilizer use but now buy in hay – is this a net reduction or have I just shifted the problem further along the road?
Crofting was less badly hit by Covid-19 the first time round than many other areas and we may do better this time as well if we are all careful and stay home.
Apart from feeding sheep the next task for us is scanning. I can’t imagine contractors from New Zealand making it over here so there will be pressure on local guys to fill the gap. And this brings added risk as they travel around. Again, we all need to be sensible.
Poultry have had their own lockdown and isolation since December 14.
All birds should be housed or otherwise kept separate from wild birds to prevent the spread of avian flu. There was a case on Orkney so the disease is here.
I haven’t seen any indication of when the restrictions will be lifted. Our hens are certainly not happy with being kept inside and we have more work in cleaning out hen houses.
We are fortunate in that we have the space to get them inside. Others have had to cull birds.
Roll on the vaccine – we need some good news!
Russell Smith is a crofter at Bonar Bridge and a director of the Scottish Crofting Federation.
