More than a fifth of British farmers plan to reduce their investments over the next year as a result of Brexit, a new survey has found.
Figures from the NFU show that confidence in the mid-term future has hit an all-time low, with short-term confidence also turning negative and hitting its lowest level since April 2016.
The farmers' union said the figures underlined the effect the ongoing Brexit uncertainty has had on farmer confidence and emphasised the urgent need for clarity regarding the UK’s future relationship with the EU.
NFU president Minette Batters said: “These results paint a very stark picture of the true extent Brexit uncertainty is having on farming businesses. The unknowns of our future, from what the trading environment will look like or how farms will have access to a workforce from outside the UK, is making it almost impossible for any food-producing business to plan properly.
“Productive, profitable and progressive farms are central to our ability to produce safe, traceable and affordable food for the nation, all while protecting and enhancing our cherished countryside.
“The NFU has been very clear that the UK must avoid a no-deal Brexit, with its effects so clear to us all. An effective trade embargo for exports of animal and animal products, and the very real potential of the government unilaterally lowering import tariffs that could see imports of food produced to lower standards than our own, are just two reasons why I have been clear that a no-deal Brexit could be catastrophic for our nation’s farmers. Once you turn off the food production tap it’s incredibly difficult to turn it back on again, if at all.'
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