Food shoppers in the dark over Brexit effect...

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 Timmd 10 Jul 2017

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40530700

Read the cheery details here. :-/
 Dax H 10 Jul 2017
In reply to Timmd:

One expert predicts prices going up.
Another expert says the prices are inflated by an average of 20% due to EU meddling.

One beef farmer says it might put us out of business and another beef farmer says it could be great as we can strike new indipendent deals.

All we can do is wait and see.
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 timjones 10 Jul 2017
In reply to Dax H:

> One expert predicts prices going up.

> Another expert says the prices are inflated by an average of 20% due to EU meddling.

> One beef farmer says it might put us out of business and another beef farmer says it could be great as we can strike new indipendent deals.

> All we can do is wait and see.

Beef isn't likely to be a huge problem in terms of prices at the farmgate as we are far from self-sufficient.

Sheep farmers are far more likely to suffer as the export market into Europe has a huge effect on prices.
 john arran 10 Jul 2017
In reply to Dax H:

> Another expert says the prices are inflated by an average of 20% due to EU meddling.

... conveniently ignoring the fact that wages in the EU are way higher on average than the rest of the world, necessarily pushing prices up due to higher transport, POS, storage, etc. costs.

But if what you want people to believe is that it's all about EU meddling, then best keep quiet about inconvenient truths, eh?

Or maybe he wants wages in the UK to fall to rest-of-the-world average? That would certainly help keep food prices down.
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pasbury 10 Jul 2017
In reply to Dax H:

> Another expert says the prices are inflated by an average of 20% due to EU meddling.

Then that person is not an expert but a bullshitter.
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 jethro kiernan 10 Jul 2017
In reply to pasbury:

EU meddling on work time directives, vehicle standards, food quality directives, transport of livestock etc. Lets not compete with those bothersome Europeans and their mindless red tape. Level playing field with some 3rd world sweat shop economy anyone?
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damhan-allaidh 10 Jul 2017
In reply to timjones:
I think there are wider issues about liberalising this particular market (e.g., http://www.fwi.co.uk/business/fears-agriculture-could-be-sacrificed-us-uk-t... ). American (and I am one) food safety standards are much lower.

Furthermore:
http://www.chewvalleygazette.co.uk/article.cfm?id=101668&headline=General%2...

Which makes me ask: to what extent are people going to make - or, in a poorer economy be able to make - "well informed choices" of British beef produced to high safety and ethical standards over cheaper US beef? Rees-Moggs says we can independently set our own standards - before anyone gets excited by this, he's previously said we can cut healthy safety records a long way ("India standards"), and believes that regulation (that pesky stuff that regulates things from hormones in your beef, chlorinated chicken and external cladding on buildings) holds business back.

It's not just about price, it's about ethics, standards and animal welfare for those of us who can afford to make a choice. For the rest of society, this government's position is qu'ils mangent de la brioche.

Edited for appalling spelling and grammar
Post edited at 17:02
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 RomTheBear 10 Jul 2017
In reply to Dax H:
> One expert predicts prices going up.

> Another expert says the prices are inflated by an average of 20% due to EU meddling.

If we paid food prices at world prices, you would annihilate the U.K. farming industry in a matter of months.

Economically speaking, it would probably be good thing. On a purely short-term economic point of view, growing subsidised potatoes outisde London instead of building offices and houses is stupid. But I'm not so sure that's what people want.

But there are good reasons why the EU (including the UK) and the US, have been reasonably protectionist when it comes to agriculture : first and foremost, self-sufficiency is deemed strategic, if not vital, and rightly so. But there are also concerns around environnemental standards, ethical standards, health and safety...
Post edited at 17:16
 Dax H 10 Jul 2017
In reply to pasbury:

> Then that person is not an expert but a bullshitter.

I wouldn't know because I am not a farming expert.
The op asked us to read the article he linked to and he took the negative stance.
I pointed out that the article apparently had both negative and positive points of view.
 john arran 10 Jul 2017
In reply to john arran:

To the dislikers, would you care to explain why you think it was reasonable for him to indicate that food prices being 20% above the world average was due to EU meddling, when clearly service charges in a high-value economy will inevitably add cost to end-user prices. The implication was that much or all of this 20% would not exist without the EU, which begs the question: what would really be different? How would the apparently unavoidable service charges necessary for food retailers to operate profitably in a high-value economy be reduced by 20%? I'm genuinely curious.
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