Many British farms will “struggle to survive” if the United Kingdom leaves the European Union with 'no deal', the NFU president has warned.
During a speech at the Semex dairy conference in Glasgow on Monday (14 January), NFU President Minette Batters said farmers 'want clarity' amid growing political uncertainty.
She also covered issues such as the forthcoming Agriculture Bill, the need to uphold UK food standards and the importance of food production.
The Brexit warning comes as MPs prepare to vote in the House of Commons on Tuesday (15 January) on Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal.
The PM appears to be on course for a crushing defeat in the vote, making a 'no deal' Brexit a possible outcome.
Mrs Batters said due to the ongoing uncertainty, there has “never been a more important time to talk about home grown food.”
“I want to broaden the conversations around food - it is more affordable, diverse, traceable and available than ever before, but around the world the landscape for food is changing and we face significant challenges in sustaining ourselves in the future,” she told the conference.
“For example, a no deal Brexit could lead to an immediate reliance on overseas imports, produced to lower standards, while many UK farms struggle to survive.
“Farmers want clarity on what the future trading relationship with Europe will be. We have argued for free and frictionless trade with the EU to continue, with no tariffs or non-tariff barriers.”
The UK's farming unions have repeatedly urged the government for 'free and frictionless' trade in any Brexit deal.
With tariffs, farmers fear a “nightmare scenario”. For example, around a third of Wales’ lamb crop is exported each year, with 90% of that going to the EU.
If the UK were to crash out of the EU and have to trade on WTO terms, exports of lamb would face an effective tariff rate of 46%.
For beef, effective rates are much higher at anything between 48 and 84% according to the cut.
Mrs Batters added: “Our focus will also be to continue to engage with MPs to ensure the new Agriculture Bill delivers for British farmers. It’s vital that it establishes a framework that supports farmers as food producers and custodians of the countryside.”
“Whatever happens, Brexit or no Brexit, deal or no deal, we have 66 million mouths to feed and British dairy farmers will continue doing what they do best – producing safe, traceable and affordable food for the nation,” she said.
Meanwhile, the National Sheep Association (NSA) has called for MPs to back the Prime Minister's deal in order to offer “stability” to the sheep industry.
NSA Chief Executive, Phil Stocker said: “We need to know that we can continue sending lamb to the EU as freely and frictionlessly as we do now, and we need MPs to consider farming and food interests in considering how they vote.”
The NSA has repeatedly warned of the wide variety of risks attached to a no deal Brexit and is concerned MPs not accepting the deal will move the country one step closer to this outcome.
He added: “For our industry many of the lambs being born in the coming months will be intended for European markets and there is increasing concern that our exports to the EU will be stopped or delayed if the deal is not accepted, with no assurances as to when access may be regained.”
