British farmers would face 'years of uncertainty' and would have to re-negotiate access to European trade deals if it left the European Union, Prime Minister David Cameron said in a response to a letter from CLA President Ross Murray.
Murray has called on the Government to dispel confusion and uncertainty by setting out the Government’s Plan B for farming in case of a Brexit scenario.
Cameron wrote: "Outside the EU, we would have no say over the rules governing our biggest export market - but our farmers would still have to comply with these rules if they wanted to export to Europe."
Murray said: "The Prime Minister is a clear and passionate advocate of the case for remain.
"He is making the case that farmers that want greater certainty can play their part by voting for remain in the referendum.
"We respect his arguments and many farmers will agree with him. We also respect the speed with which he has responded to us.
"It is a significant reassurance about how seriously he takes the implications of this decision for rural people and the rural economy.
"What he has not done is provide the reassurance we asked for in our letter that Government has a plan for how it will manage all outcomes of the referendum.
"Our members are voters in the referendum, but they are also business owners and they are looking beyond the referendum and see significant uncertainty."
In an interview on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, the CLA has warned that investment, jobs and the environment will be put at risk without assurance from Government that plans are being developed to address significant issues for farming and the rural sector, whatever the outcome of the EU Referendum.
Murray said: "Whatever the outcome of the Referendum, there are important decisions that the Government will need to make to ensure the continued health of farming and the wider rural economy.
"With no clear Government plan set out for farming and the rural sector in the case of a vote for Brexit and with Defra Ministers supporting opposing campaigns, there is a lack of clarity around what is statement of fact and what is conjecture regarding Government plans.
"This is causing confusion and uncertainty around investment decisions and around meeting long-term environmental commitments.
"The rural business community is looking for more from Government and the civil service, specifically to set out what would be involved in a Brexit scenario for the rural sector.”
CLA's four priority areas for farming and rural businesses concerning the EU Referendum:
• Access to EU and world markets for UK agricultural products must continue, as unfettered as possible;
• Ministers must assure the farming industry that payments currently delivered through the Common Agricultural Policy scheme will be delivered up to 2020, which is the end of the current scheme. The CLA welcomes working with Government on plans for what an appropriate UK scheme would look like and to ensure land managers can continue to care for the environment beyond 2020
• There needs to be a mechanism for those farm based businesses which rely significantly on overseas labour to continue to access the workforce they need
• Persuasive arguments that Government has the capacity to significantly reduce red tape and modernise regulation.
