A leading agricultural business consultant has said it is ‘extremely likely’ that Britain will end up with an interim deal with the European Union.
Following the snap general election and with Theresa May’s struggling government at the helm, it is looking less feasible that the Brexit negotiations would be completed within the two year time limit, he said.
Agricultural business consultant Simon Ward said that the interim deal could mean Britain would remain within the European Economic Area for up to six years while negotiations took place.
He said that it would be a choice between this or a ‘really hard Brexit' whereby Britain pulled out of the EU and then spent two years trying to negotiate a free trade deal.
He also went on to say that after leaving the European Union it was clear the current subsidy arrangement would no longer exist.
'Reduce a long way'
He said: “I think that over a period of time there is no doubt about it, agricultural support in the UK will reduce a long way for most sectors.”
He said 'both colours of politicians' had been anti pillar one support and that Governments had other priorities over supporting farmers.
Speaking about how British agriculture could cope without the payments he referred to when New Zealand farmers lost their subsidies, saying, “most New Zealand farmers now would say it’s the best thing that ever happened.”
Simon Ward, who is the founder and managing director of agricultural business consultancy Increment Ltd, was speaking at the Arable Event in Shropshire.
He was part of a panel discussing the implications Brexit would have for the agricultural industry. Mr Ward spoke to FarmingUK after the debate.
