Following the announcement that “sufficient progress” had been made on the split between the UK and the European Union, farmers consider the start of trade discussions to be crucial in ensuring that the food and farming industry can thrive in a post-Brexit era.
The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has given a cautious welcome to the news that the first phase of negotiations has been concluded and that the next phase, to discuss the future trading relationship between the UK and the rest of European, is to begin.
It has been confirmed that there will be no hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic, and that EU citizens in the UK and UK citizens in the EU will see their rights protected.
As a spokesman for the NFU commented, securing the rights of EU citizens living in the UK is important for the many people working in vital roles in the food and farming industry, from farm vets to those picking and packing produce.
However, he urged the Government to keep in mind the high standards of farmers in the UK which allow consumers to buy safe and traceable food underpinned by the Red Tractor logo.
He also voiced his concern that, despite this important step, farming businesses urgently need certainty about the terms of any transitional agreement which needs to be in place as early as April 2019. Therefore, he stressed, all political parties must maintain the momentum.
The NFU has released a document entitled Delivering a Bold and Ambitious Future for Farming, which outlines what it would like the Government to adopt as part of a new domestic agricultural policy. It builds on the key themes the NFU sees as being integral to an agricultural policy, namely volatility, productivity and the environment.
