NFU president Minette Batters has described the recent Brexit developments and release of no-deal technical notices as “alarming”.
Batters told growers at the British Tomato Conference that the latest no-deal technical notices on organics, transport and animal exports, which aim to help businesses prepare for a hard Brexit, could spell “catastrophe” for some UK producers.
She also revealed the government could be aiming to set import tariffs from the EU to zero after Brexit to avoid further food price inflation.
“Things have become more alarming in the last few days with the technical notices. If we lose free and frictionless access it could be catastrophic for many producers,” Batters told growers.
“We cannot store produce for long and if we cannot get food out that will certainly be a major unprecedented challenge.”
Batters played down any plan for a Canada style free trade deal with Europe saying it would break up the UK. “A border in the Irish Sea is unpalatable for Scottish farmers, they would want to remain with Ireland as would Welsh farmers.”
Batters described several difficult conversations she has had with the government since becoming president of the NFU in February this year, including an “awkward” one with Theresa May and a late call with Michael Gove on the night the new Agriculture Bill was due to published.
“The Prime Minister was supportive of our ambition for trade, but her body language visibly tightened on labour.
“It was under her watch as Home Secretary in 2011 that the SAWS scheme was disbanded. It was an awkward and stilted conversation.”
Speaking about the recent launch of the Agriculture Bill Batters said: “The Agriculture Bill landed in a bizarre way, and it doesn’t mention food, we saw it the day before and had to rewrite our press release at 10:30 at night in my hotel room.
“I spoke to Michael Gove that night who assured me saying ‘don’t worry it’s all about food’, but it was about the environment. The bill itself is fine and is an enabling piece of legislation.”
She praised the efforts of the NFU in lobbying for a new seasonal worker scheme announced by Sajid Javid earlier this month.
“I’m over the moon we have a achieved the pilot scheme to achieve something in the midst of Brexit turmoil, we are the only sector to have achieved anything. It’s a step in the right direction.”
