The trade deal agreed in principle between the UK and Australia needs to be changed to reflect the nuances between importing bone-in meat, and meat from specific cuts, a Westminster committee of MPs has been told.

Giving evidence to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs committee on Tuesday, Peter Hardwick from the British Meat Processors’ Association (BMPA) explained the problem when the volume of meat allowed in is solely based on weight.

Under the terms of the outline agreement, Australia will have access to a tariff-free quota of 35,000t of beef, rising to 110,000t by year 10.

For sheepmeat, it is a duty-free quota of 25,000t rising in equal instalments to 75,000t in year 10.

Hardwick said that a standard 20ft container, if filled with bone-in beef product, is likely to involve meat from 50 animals. But if the container is filled with striploins, that is likely to be from over 1,000 cattle.

“What is disappointing with this negotiation is that it failed to take into account the detail.

Ireland is next door and it sends us balanced production

“It is based on a broad brush definition of beef or sheepmeat without any nuancing.

Unless we get some nuancing, they will undershoot the quotas by miles, yet still do significant damage,” he said

He maintained that it is high-value cuts where UK processors make their money, and also rejected the UK government line that imports from Australia and New Zealand will displace EU importers such as the Republic of Ireland in the UK market, not domestic producers.

“Ireland is next door and it sends us balanced production – mince, meat manufacturing, fresh meat and so on – whereas meat from Australia will come to pick the eyes out of the UK business,” said Hardwick.

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