George Eustice has confirmed that the meeting will take place in London on Tuesday (July 1) with representatives from the whole supply chain including UK farming unions, processors and retailers.
The NFU will be represented by President Meurig Raymond and livestock board chairman Charles Sercombe.
The summit will cover three areas:
- Understanding and solving the farmgate price crash
- Opening more export markets
- Improving the productivity of the beef farming sector.
Mr Sercombe said he was pleased that the minister had realised the need to get people around the table to thrash the issues out.
“The NFU has been stressing the need for an urgent cross-industry meeting to challenge all in the trade on the actions they are taking to deal with the current situation,” he said.
“Confidence among beef producers is at rock bottom due to the extreme price volatility that is damaging a sector with a production cycle over many years.
“We all need to work to ensure that consumers can continue to enjoy a sustainable supply of Red Tractor assured British beef and that all parts of the chain receive a sustainable reward from the market.”
We need your help...
Have you seen retailers stocking imported meat alongside British in a way that you feel could be confusing for shoppers? Have you seen labelling that leaves a lot to be desired? Let us know by tweeting us @NFUtweets. Include pictures if possible.
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