Aug112017

News story: Huge export win to China for UK food producers

HM Government

A new export deal with China will bring a £200 million boost to the UK food industry and support 1,500 jobs, Food Minister George Eustice announced today.

Taking advantage of the growing demand for our food and drink in China, seven new businesses in England and Northern Ireland have secured access to export pork – including three producers who, in a first for the UK, will export pig trotters.

These new agreements will support around 1,500 jobs across the country and come after it was revealed this week UK food and drink exports reached £10 billion for the first half of 2017.

Food Minister George Eustice said:

China is a hugely important market for our world-class food industry and by opening up access even further, more UK businesses can take advantage of the growing appetite for our food and drink.

British food is produced to the very best standards of welfare, quality and safety and this growth in exports to China is creating more jobs and opportunities for our premium pork producers who can guarantee quality from farm to fork.

Demand for our food and drink is growing in China, with the total value of exports rising by a third to £438m in 2016.

In particular, demand for UK pork has doubled in terms of value over the last three years. Nine producers already export to China and generated £43m last year.

The new agreements include approval to export from five sites in Suffolk, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, County Antrim and County Tyrone – meaning Northern Ireland will take advantage of this export success story for the first time.

The announcement follows ongoing work by government officials and ministers in the UK and China. It was welcomed in Northern Ireland where the devolved administration has been working alongside Defra and the local pork industry to gain access to China.

Northern Ireland’s Chief Veterinary Officer, Robert Huey thanked Defra for securing access. He said:

This is very welcome news for the Northern Ireland pig sector and for our wider agri-food industry and I look forward to the commencement of exports to China. The deal represents a major boost worth in excess of £10m for the local pork industry.

This follows concerted effort by Defra supported by the government and industry in Northern Ireland. By recommending approval, the Chinese authorities have recognised the rigorous standards Northern Ireland has in place to produce our high-quality, safe and wholesome pork. We place a clear emphasis on traceability at the heart of our production and processing and recognise that a joined up, safe and efficient food supply is essential.

Northern Ireland Office Minister Chloe Smith MP said:

I welcome today’s news that seven UK businesses, including companies based in Northern Ireland, have secured market access for the export of pork to China. It is an exciting example of what the Northern Ireland agri-food sector and, indeed, export market can be, and of what we can achieve in terms of trade, jobs and new opportunities as we build an economy that works for everyone.

The UK industry’s high-welfare, quality-assured, sustainably produced stance puts it in a strong position in China, which is predicted to remain the world’s largest net importer of meat.

Dr Phil Hadley, AHDB’s International Market Development Director, said:

We are absolutely delighted this new deal has been agreed with China, which will support jobs and create opportunities for UK pork producers for years to come.

This agreement with China comes hot on the heels of this week’s announcement that a £34 million deal has been agreed to export UK beef to the Philippines. It is great to hear so much positive news around exports of UK meat and is a testament to the hard work being done to promote the UK food industry on a global stage.

The UK Government is committed to driving exports for UK produce. Defra’s Food is GREAT campaign plays a key role in this, driving the demand for UK produce around the world and increasing positive public perception of our food and drink. China is one of the key markets in the International Action Plan for Food and Drink, which will see Government and industry working together to boost food and drink exports over the next five years.

Aug112017

Iraq: UN refugee agency steps up humanitarian support for families returning to Mosul

United Nations

11 August 2017 – The United Nations refugee agency has been stepping up its assistance for people, including thousands of returnees, in the Iraqi city of Mosul, which had until recently been the scene of a fierce battle for control between terrorist fighters and the Government forces.

&#8220Our field assessments show that the returning population of Mosul needs assistance of every kind, but the shelter needs are the most pressing, particularly in the western part of the city,’ said Andrej Mahecic, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), at the press regular briefing in Geneva.

&#8220Many neighbourhoods in the west have been extensively damaged or totally destroyed during months of fighting,&#8221 he added.

Mosul was liberated from control by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) terrorist organization in July.

UN partners say that of the 54 residential districts in west Mosul, 15 suffered destruction or heavy damage, another 23 areas are moderately damaged, while further 16 neighbourhoods sustained light damage.

Mr. Mahecic said that mines, unexploded ordnance and related devices pose massive risks for the city’s residents, especially children, welcoming the ongoing mine clearing efforts by the authorities and the UN Mine Action Service.

Returning families also face challenges in accessing basic services and utilities &#8211 accessing water, electricity or fuel in parts of Mosul can be difficult and very expensive, he added.

So far, according to government figures, some 79,000 people returned to battered west Mosul &#8211 one out of every ten people who were forced to flee from this part of the city. Also, the government says, more than 165,000 people have now returned to the considerably less damaged east Mosul, where day-to-day life is gradually resuming.

However, managers in the camps for internally displaced persons in east Mosul estimate that at least 200 families have moved back to the camps after finding living conditions difficult in Mosul.

Reasons cited for their return a include lack of shelter; high rental prices; a lack of livelihood opportunities and limited basic services such as electricity and water.

Since the end of the military campaign to retake the city, UNHCR has distributed shelter kits to more than 3,200 families in east and west Mosul while also providing cash assistance to some of the most vulnerable displaced Iraqi families.

Large numbers of IDPs and returnees are also missing key civil documents. UNHCR and partners are providing legal assistance and supporting local authorities to reissue civil and identity documents to displaced families in the camps, including birth and marriage certificates.

&#8220Given the scale of the destruction in Mosul, particularly in the western sector, humanitarian needs will remain high,&#8221 the spokesperson said.

Aug112017

Greens invite Michael Gove to fracking sites after tree felling intervention

Green Party

11 August 2017

The Green Party has written to Environment Secretary Michael Gove to invite him to meet residents in Sheffield who are campaigning against fracking.

The letter follows Gove’s intervention to oppose Sheffield Council’s controversial tree felling programme [1]. On August 10 Gove wrote to council leader Julie Dore and chief executive John Mothersole to demand an end to the felling of healthy trees. 

Whilst welcoming Mr Gove’s sudden interest in local environmental concerns in Sheffield, the Green Party has invited the Secretary of State to take a stand against fracking too. Jonathan Bartley, Green Party co-leader, has invited Gove to join him on a visit to the region to meet local residents and protesters.

Bartley said:

“Michael Gove’s condemnation of the tree felling programme is of course welcome. He should pay tribute to the hard work of local campaigners who have refused to let this issue be ignored. We’re glad Gove is standing up for trees but now he needs to stand up against fracking. If he truly cares about the environment, and local residents being steamrollered by those in power, he should oppose the fracking which threatens the local area too.

“I’d be more than happy for Michael to come with me to meet the tireless campaigners who are standing up for their communities, whether it’s over the senseless felling of healthy trees or the many risks posed by fracking.”

In the letter, Bartley wrote:

“Tree felling isn’t the only environmental issue which local residents and Green Party members are concerned about, and where politicians aren’t listening to the strength of local feeling. Many of the activists who have rightly been campaigning to protect the trees of Sheffield have also been protesting the threat of fracking in a number of locations in the vicinity of the city, with many sites ready to begin test drilling very soon. The local community is similarly bitterly opposed to the plans.

“I’m sure you would agree that this will also ‘damage our children’s rightful inheritance’, with fracking poised to industrialise the countryside and make a mockery of our commitment to the Paris Agreement. As such, I wonder if you would also comment on this issue, and express your support for people across Yorkshire who are equally concerned about this affront to ‘green spaces and the local environment’?”

Notes:

1. http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/our-region/south-yorkshire/sheffield/exclusive-michael-gove-demands-end-to-sheffield-tree-felling-1-8694453

2. Full text of the letter:

Dear Mr. Gove  

I was delighted to see your intervention in the ongoing campaign to protect trees in Sheffield. Like you, I am dismayed to see the council carrying out this senseless felling of trees, refusing to listen to the wishes of the local community.

As I’m sure you are aware, the Green Party has been heavily involved with this community campaign since its inception, from local party members, to former party leader Natalie Bennett, to our councillor Alison Teal, who was arrested and faces an injunction merely for taking part in a peaceful protest to protect Sheffield’s trees. I am sure they are equally thrilled to see your willingness to stand alongside these residents. 

However, tree felling isn’t the only environmental issue which local residents and Green Party members are concerned about, and to which politicians aren’t listening to the strength of local feeling. Many of the activists who have rightly been campaigning to protect the trees of Sheffield have also been protesting the threat of fracking in a number of locations in the vicinity of the city, with many sites ready to begin test drilling very soon. The local community is similarly bitterly opposed to the plans.  

I’m sure you would agree that this will also “damage our children’s rightful inheritance”, with fracking poised to industrialise the countryside and make a mockery of our commitment to the Paris Agreement. As such, I wonder if you would also comment on this issue, and express your support for people across Yorkshire who are equally concerned about this affront to “green spaces and the local environment”?  

To this end, I would like to invite you to accompany me on a visit to one or more of the local fracking sites, where I would be pleased to introduce you to Green Party members, activists and councillors who are passionately and bravely opposing fracking, many of whom are doubtless the same residents who expressed their concerns about tree felling during your recent trip to Yorkshire. 

I look forward to hearing from you. 

Yours sincerely 

Jonathan Bartley

Co-leader of the Green Party of England and Wales

Back to main news page

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

Aug112017

How we’re working to beat cancer

SNP

Two out of every five people in Scotland will develop cancer in their lifetime. And our aging population means that more people are being diagnosed with cancer. Yet better treatment also now means that more people can be cured than ever before.

Aug112017

How we’re helping young people find fair work

SNP

Over the past ten years we’ve taken action help young people get into work. Today Scotland’s youth unemployment rate is the third lowest in the EU. We will now work to reduce it further and ensure more young people are in good, well paid work.