British sheep farmers concerned at possible free trade deal with Australia

British sheep farmers are concerned at the prospect of a possible free trade deal with the Australia following the decision to leave the European Union.  

Neil Hesiltine, an upland sheep farmer, said that more sheep being imported from Australia and other commonwealth countries could only be a “bad thing for the British sheep industry.”

He said that, as a sheep farmer, he “would rather not see Australian sheep meat come into Britain and I’d not rather not see our supermarkets dealing with any of the Antipodean countries because it’s going to have an impact on our industry.”

Australia currently exports just under 20,000 tonnes of sheep meat to the EU but, with an annual production of more than 700,000 tonnes, the country is keen to open up more trade opportunities.