The government must give the dairy industry their say in Brexit negotiations and must avoid a 'cliff-edge', dairy leaders have warned.
Speaking at Dairy UK's 'Brexit and Beyond' seminar in London, Dr David Dobbin, chairman of Dairy UK said the importance of dairy must not be forgotten or traded to the benefit of other sectors.
"Uncertainties around Brexit will be a problem for businesses in all sectors in the UK and the EU until negotiations take shape and the dairy industry in Europe is highly interlinked.
"We need transition and we need engagement.
"We have a strong ambition to provide world class products and play a positive role in the economy, environment, nutrition and social aspects of UK life.
"Dairy products are found in 98% of UK homes and there are 80,000 people who work in the industry, it's their dedication and the support of the public that makes our industry vitally important to the UK.
"We are a key part of the nutritional fabric of the country," he said.
'Bad deal'
Dr Dobbin told delegates that the UK government must ensure that trading arrangements with the EU without tariffs are continued as well as an access to unskilled labour.
"A bad deal for the UK would be a major problem for the domestic dairy industry and would also be a bad deal for the European dairy industry.
"The Government must avoid a cliff edge deal and go for lengthy transition to allow a deal to be finalised and seamlessly phased in," he said.
Dr Judith Bryans, chief executive of Dairy UK, said the industry is working hard to realise its potential.
"It is in the UK’s interest for the industry to emerge from Brexit as an effective, dynamic sector equipped to continue to feed the nation for generations to come."
'Trade-off'
The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) has also produced an economic analysis of the potential impact of Brexit on the industry.
Oliver Hogan, director at CEBR, said: "The choices facing the UK as it enters negotiations with the EU can be thought of as a trade-off between autonomy and market access.
"In essence, the more rigid the UK is on its red lines, the more it can expect to have to move away from unfettered single market access, as it exists today.
"If done in the right way, many Brexit-related worries could disappear. Making this happen would require careful and tolerant negotiating behaviour on both sides, something that has been conspicuous by its absence in recent months."
The seminar took place on Wednesday 21st June at the Royal Garden Hotel and will be followed by the annual industry dinner this evening.
