UK pet food manufacturers have called on the government to end the uncertainty over Brexit that they say is damaging the trade.
At its Annual Convention last week, the Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association, which represents 85 UK pet food companies, brought together its members, vets and Government departments to focus on what lies ahead for the pet food sector and pet nutrition.
Under the theme ‘Pet food nutrition: what’s next on the menu?’, members were told that there was a lot more clarity and certainty about the pet food sector’s objectives than what was on the Brexit menu.
PFMA chief executive Michael Bellingham explained: “Today we set out the next stage of our three-year pet food vision, this year focusing on pet nutrition. Our ambition is to remain a world leader in this critical area, by encouraging and acting on the latest science. As a result, our nation’s pets benefit from the highest nutritional quality products, developed over several decades.
“This ambition is threatened by the continued uncertainty over our future relationship with the EU. This uncertainty is the enemy of our pet food businesses; it lowers confidence levels and risks curbing growth and innovation in the UK. We, therefore, call on the UK Government to end the Brexit uncertainties which are placing high costs on our businesses and diverting focus from our main job of feeding safe, nutritious high-quality food to our pets.”
