The Country, Land and Business Association (CLA) has responded to proposal’s outlined by Jeremy Hunt for a relief programme for farming in case of a ‘no deal’ Brexit.
Tim Breitmeyer, president of the CLA, said Mr Hunt’s announcement recognises the unique circumstances of the sector and the negative consequences of a ‘no deal’ scenario for a significant number of farmers up and down the land.
He said: “This is especially true for sectors such as sheep farming where the deadline of October 31 could not come at a worse time.
“However, it must not mask the real issues with a ‘no deal’ Brexit. Whoever wins the leadership race will need to negotiate a future trade deal with the EU, which is as free and frictionless as possible, every effort should be spent towards achieving that goal and securing the primary export market for a huge proportion of the UK’s agricultural production.”
Mr Breitmeyer added: “Mr Hunt’s proposals are also unclear in some areas. Described as “temporary” there is little detail on timeframes nor, most importantly, what follows once they are concluded. Is it longer term relief or structural reform? Without further details then this could be viewed as simply another example of kicking the can down the road.”
