Brexit: UK farming could suffer with free trade deals, NFU president urges Leadsom

NFU president Meurig Raymond said he had 'constructive and robust discussions' with the Defra secretary on post-Brexit farming
NFU president Meurig Raymond said he had 'constructive and robust discussions' with the Defra secretary on post-Brexit farming

UK farm production 'must not be sacrificed' in free trade deals post-Brexit, NFU president Meurig Raymond said as he met Defra secretary Andrea Leadsom yesterday.

Mr Raymond said he had 'constructive and robust discussions' with the Defra secretary on post-Brexit farming, the NFU president said 'unfettered access' to the EU market was key and urged the government to place equal priority on the British farming sector.

"We set out firmly that high standards of UK farm production must not be sacrificed in a free trade deal and I was pleased to hear that Mrs Leadsom agreed with us on that. British food cannot withstand a market flooded with imports produced to lower standards, there was universal understanding of this in the meeting.

"We welcomed her initiative to explore new markets outside the EU such as China where she has held talks recently but stressed that retaining key export markets for agricultural commodities, such as those to the EU, is vital for many UK farming sectors."

Seasonal labour

Mr Raymond also raised concerns around the UK's need for seasonal labour from abroad, saying it was an 'urgent concern' for many farmers.

The NFU President also discussed with the Defra Secretary the reasons behind faming’s immediate need for non-UK seasonal labour
The NFU President also discussed with the Defra Secretary the reasons behind faming’s immediate need for non-UK seasonal labour

"Access to non-UK labour is an urgent concern for our farmer and growers, and the food processing sector. We discussed with Mrs Leadsom possible solutions, including the urgent need for a substantial trial of a visa-controlled Seasonal Agricultural Permit Scheme.

"And due to confusion caused by Brexit, we called for the Government to reassure all EU citizens already working here of their right to remain in the UK."

The farming industry told the government it would struggle to survive without the seasonal flow of labour from the continent. The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) is just one of the organisations that said the uncertainty for migrant workers may affect investment and job creation.

CLA President Ross Murray said workers from the EU and beyond play a "crucial role" in the rural economy: "In agriculture alone more than 30,000 permanent workers and an estimated 67,000 seasonal workers overseas help keep our shops and market stalls stocked with UK produce," he said.

"Farms and other rural businesses need to know that after Brexit there will still be a flexible, skilled and secure workforce so they can plan for the future, invest in their businesses and secure or create jobs.

The Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers' (RABDF) 2014 independent farmer survey concluded that migrant workers were making a significant contribution to the dairy sector with one third of producers having employed foreign labour with the majority agreeing they had been a very successful option.

Basic Payment Scheme

The NFU president urged Mrs Leadsom to ensure claimants paid late in the payment window last time are the first to be paid this time saying it was 'not acceptable'.

"It is not acceptable that these same farms could be paid late in the payment window for the second year running. We were robust in our calls to Mrs Leadsom and the RPA that these farmers are paid as soon as possible and if that is not possible then Government must urgently plan for an early bridging payment to avoid the repercussions of last year."