The plea for tariff-free access to the Single Market came from the biggest coalition of food producers in the UK’s history. The coalition of 75 organisations, employing 1M people with a value of over £92bn, signed a letter to the prime minister.
The food and farming industry needed access to a “competent and reliable” workforce and tariff-free access to the Single Market for it to flourish, claimed the National Farmers Union (NFU). The 75 organisations backed these claims in the letter, but also pledged support for a positive, bold and ambitious vision for the sector, post-Brexit.
‘An enormous opportunity’
The Brexit vote provided the food and farming sector with “an enormous opportunity”, claimed NFU president Meurig Raymond. But the industry needed guarantees on labour and trade to deliver those opportunities, he added.
“To deliver this new future, we must secure the best possible access to the Single Market and continued access to a competent and reliable workforce. Getting this right will set the foundations for a successful new British agricultural policy,” Raymond said.
“Agriculture is a litmus-test for the government’s Brexit negotiations. As the sector most heavily impacted by the referendum outcome, if the government can make British farming a success post-Brexit, then it will be the clearest indication that the country can succeed outside Europe.”
Food security, food safety and food hygiene
Food security, food safety and hygiene, affordable food and stewardship of the countryside would be at risk if access to labour and the best possible access to the Single Market were lost, the letter said. A Brexit deal that recognised the critical role of the food sector would benefit the UK economy, claimed the NFU.
Meanwhile, domestic growers and farmers face a “catastrophe” if their subsidies are not maintained after Brexit, claimed logistics firm Fowler Welch last month. The firm said food producers were well within their rights to seek subsidies from the money that the UK wouldn’t have to Europe after Brexit.
75 signatories on letter sent to Prime Minister
- 2 Sisters Food Group
- AB Connect part of AB Agri
- ABP Food Group UK
- AH Worth & Co
- Apetito
- Arla Foods UK
- Baileys Turkeys
- Berry Gardens
- BerryWorld
- Branston Holdings
- Bumble Hole Foods
- C&J Meats
- Capestone Organic Poultry
- Cargill
- Chippindale Foods
- Cobb Vantress Europe
- Cobrey Farms
- Country Land and Business Association
- Crosse & Blackwell
- Dairy Crest
- Dawn Meats
- Dovecote Park
- Dunbia
- Euro Quality Lambs
- Eurostock Food Group
- Fayrefield Foods
- Foyle Food Group
- Fresca Group
- Graham’s Family Dairy
- G’s Growers
- Hewitts’ Wholesales
- Hillier Nurseries
- Humphrey Farms
- Hy-line UK
- Joice and Hill
- J Sainsbury
- Kelly Turkeys
- Lactalis McLelland
- Linden Food Group
- Marks and Spencer
- Mash Direct
- Meadow Foods
- M.H. Poskitt
- Monaghan Mushrooms
- Müller UK & Ireland
- Muntons
- Natures Way Foods
- Neame Lea Nursery
- Noble Foods
- Northern Ireland Meat Exporters' Association
- NIMEA
- Oakland Farm Eggs
- OMSCo
- PD Hook / Hook 2 Sisters
- Poupart Produce
- Produce World Group
- Puffin Produce
- Randall Parker Food Group
- Riviera Produce
- Scotbeef
- South Caernarfon Creameries
- Sunrise Poultry Farms
- The Newey Group
- Traditional Norfolk Poultry
- Valefresco
- WD Meats
- Weetabix
- Withers Farm
- Wm Morrisons Supermarkets plc (in conjunction with Woodheads)
- Wyke Farms