Responding to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) trade agreement of 31 March 2023, NFU Scotland President Martin Kennedy has voiced the union’s mixed views on its potential impacts.
Mr Kennedy said: “Compared to previous deals, the UK Government has taken note of our misgivings [and] has put more thought into the agreement and it does provide a more balanced platform to build relationships.
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“That said, NFU Scotland has huge concerns about the implications the CPTPP has on some key issues which, in our opinion, are in direct conflict with Scottish agriculture’s ongoing commitment to supporting a sustainable, profitable future for our industry. These include delivering governmernments' ambitious climate-change targets and increasing the resilience of our domestic food supply."
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He added: "We are particularly concerned about the potential impact of the drop-in tariffs linked to palm oil, that pesticides currently banned for agriculture use in the UK are permitted by some CPTPP members, and that there will be inequalities in animal welfare standards across CPTPP members with some using practices banned within the UK.”
Market round-up
1340 prime and cast sheep were sold at Newton Stewart yesterday. 1238 hoggs met an increased demand on the week to average 266p/kg (281p/kg SQQ) or £119/head. Heavy hoggs sold to £149/head for Beltexes from Station Yard whilst Blue Texels from Challochglass sold to 315p/kg with export grade hoggs making 290p/kg. 339 Blackfaces averaged 275p/kg or £109/head to a top of 290p/kg for Lagafater Farms while a pen from Barlaughlan sold to £131/head. Cast sheep met a steady demand with leaner types seeing a rise on the week. A top price of £180 was achieved for a Texel from Corcoran with ewes to £150 and £148 for Texels from Millenderdale. Mules sold to £112/head from Barlaughlan with Blackface ewes selling to £97 from J Russell & Son, Crouse.
60 prime steers and heifers were forwarded at Carlisle on Monday, with trade peaking at £2323/head for a 727kg Limousin cross steer from Petteril Hill. Messrs Wigham, Cold Shields sold to £2303/head, while a 734kg steer from Bothel Parks sold to £2272. Heifers sold easily to a top of £2093 for a Limousin cross from Langhorn, with Messrs Miller, High Aketon, selling to 340p/kg.
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C & D Auction Marts’ Tuesday sale of stores in Dumfries included the sale of 186 organic cattle, all of which met strong demand. Bullocks from Woolfords sold to £160/head or 329p/kg, while heifers from Torhousemuir sold to £1455/head. 406 non-organic cattle were easily sold, with bullocks from Marwhirn selling to £1655/head or to 326p/kg from Greenfield. Heifers from Shenrick topped at £1570/head or 326p/kg from Backburn. Bulls sold to £1490/head and 322p/kg from Herries.
190 calves and strikes were sold at Ayr on Tuesday and sold to £620 for an Angus cross bull from Merkland. Heifer calves sold to £520/head for Anguses from West Cairngarroch while stirks peaked at £1260 for an Angus Cross from Messrs Murdoch, Flemington.
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