Brexit special: How leaving the EU might impact the livestock sector

International approach

FVE president Rafael Laguens says: “Infectious diseases do not respect borders, so assuring animal health, public health, food safety and animal welfare require an international approach.

"More than ever a continued close collaboration within the European veterinary profession and with international stakeholders is essential for ensuring the interests of animals and people everywhere. As we move forwards, we must be careful to maintain the important achievements reached together in the past decades.”

The European and UK veterinary organisations also highlight that, for every animal or animal product which is imported or exported, specially trained Official Veterinarians must certify and supervise the process to and from third countries, facilitating smooth trade.

The plea calls for the EU and UK to commit to a single standard for animal products destined for domestic or export markets.

A single standard which includes veterinary controls and certifications will avoid the confusion and the opportunity for fraud which is associated with multiple parallel standards, avoid compromised animal welfare, and ensure consumer confidence in the UK, across the EU, and globally.

The UK’s exit from the EU will exacerbate recruitment problems for the veterinary profession.

British Veterinary Association senior vice-president Gudrun Ravetz says: “Across the UK vets are needed to certify imports and exports, conduct cutting-edge research, prevent disease outbreaks, ensure food safety in abattoirs and achieve our world leading standards in animal welfare.”

Dairy sector

With the dairy sector, in particular, being heavily reliant on workers from Europe there could be a ‘catastrophic failure within the sector’ should short-term access to overseas workers not be maintained.

A recent survey by the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) estimates 56 per cent of British dairy farmers currently employ workers from the EU, which has led Tim Brigstocke, RABDF policy director, to say it is not resilient for us to continue to rely so heavily on overseas labour in the long-term.

“So we want to look at how we can keep dairy farming from falling off a cliff edge while addressing the issues which turn off UK workers from seeking a career in the sector.

"Some of this will involve farmers and those in the supply chain taking a long, hard look at why the reputation of dairy farming is as it is.”