Farming Talk: Budget shows importance of meat industry
If nothing else, the Chancellor's recent Budget statement underlined what we in the industry have known for a long time - the English red meat industry is crucial to the economy making a swift recovery.
If nothing else, the Chancellor's recent Budget statement underlined what we in the industry have known for a long time - the English red meat industry is crucial to the economy making a swift recovery.
In saying we should not be shy about identifying our successful industries, it is clear that red meat falls into that category and has an important role to play. That importance has been highlighted in a new independent report, analysing the value the sector adds to the economy and its importance to employment.
The Real Value of Red Meat Economic Analysis revealed that a thriving English red meat industry makes a net contribution of £1.67 billion to the economy. Other significant findings included that the English economy would lose £906 million in contributions to employment alone if the red meat sector became unsustainable.
Of the 96,000 people currently directly employed by the industry, 91,000 in rural areas, just over 20 per cent (20,256) would face unemployment if the English red meat sector was to cease. The demand created by farming in allied industries currently helps support an additional 772,998 jobs.
The report was produced by Matrix Evidence, which provides analysis for policy and management through operational research, economic appraisals and public policy evaluations, and its importance can't be stressed enough. Commissioned by ourselves and our BPEX sister division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board,it is the first analysis to look at the net contribution of the industry, painting the most realistic picture of the value the sector brings to the economy.
A thriving English red meat sector's contribution, in terms of value added to the economy and contribution to employment levels is clear. The sector is ideally placed to deliver significant economic growth and jobs and if we didn't already know it, now is the time to throw support behind an industry that can make such a positive contribution to our collective future.The full report is available in the publications section of www.eblex.org.uk
Clive Brown is senior northern regional manager of EBLEX.
