Pig World
  • News
      • Animal Health
      • Breeding
      • Business
      • Environment
      • EU
      • Food Safety
      • Housing
      • Marketing
      • NPA
      • National Pig Awards
      • New Products
      • Nutrition
      • People
      • Pig Fair
      • Politics
      • Training & Education
      • Welfare
  • Features
    • Animal Health
    • Breeding
    • Environment
    • Farm Visits
    • Herd Recording
    • Housing
    • Marketing
    • Nutrition
    • Products
    • Training
  • Comment
    • AHDB Pork
    • Chris Fogden
    • Dennis Bridgeford
    • Peter Crichton
    • Red Robin
    • Veterinary View
    • Zoe Davies, NPA
  • Numbers
  • Pig Prices
  • Magazines
    • July 2025
    • June 2025
    • 2025 Innovation supplement
    • May 2025
    • April 2025
    • March 2025
    • 2025 Buildings supplement
    • February 2025
    • 2025 Nutrition Supplement
    • January 2025
    • December 2024
    • November 2024
    • 2025 National Pig Awards supplement
    • October 2024
    • September 2024
    • August 2024
    • 2024 Pig Health supplement
    • July 2024
    • June 2024
    • 2024 Innovation supplement
    • 2024 Pig & Poultry Fair Guide
    • May 2024
    • April 2024
    • 2024 Buildings Supplement
    • March 2024
    • 2024 Pig Nutrition supplement
    • February 2024
    • January 2024
    • December 2023
    • November 2023
    • 2023 National Pig Awards supplement
    • October 2023
    • September 2023
    • Health Supplement
  • Suppliers
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Classified
  • Events
    • Pigs Tomorrow
    • National Pig Awards
Podcast
Pig WorldPig World
  • News
      • Animal Health
      • Breeding
      • Business
      • Environment
      • EU
      • Food Safety
      • Housing
      • Marketing
      • NPA
      • National Pig Awards
      • New Products
      • Nutrition
      • People
      • Pig Fair
      • Politics
      • Training & Education
      • Welfare
  • Features
    • Animal Health
    • Breeding
    • Environment
    • Farm Visits
    • Herd Recording
    • Housing
    • Marketing
    • Nutrition
    • Products
    • Training
  • Comment
    • AHDB Pork
    • Chris Fogden
    • Dennis Bridgeford
    • Peter Crichton
    • Red Robin
    • Veterinary View
    • Zoe Davies, NPA
  • Numbers
  • Pig Prices
  • Magazines
    1. July 2025
    2. June 2025
    3. 2025 Innovation supplement
    4. May 2025
    5. April 2025
    6. March 2025
    7. 2025 Buildings supplement
    8. February 2025
    9. 2025 Nutrition Supplement
    10. January 2025
    11. December 2024
    12. November 2024
    13. 2025 National Pig Awards supplement
    14. October 2024
    15. September 2024
    16. August 2024
    17. 2024 Pig Health supplement
    18. July 2024
    19. June 2024
    20. 2024 Innovation supplement
    21. 2024 Pig & Poultry Fair Guide
    22. May 2024
    23. April 2024
    24. 2024 Buildings Supplement
    25. March 2024
    26. 2024 Pig Nutrition supplement
    27. February 2024
    28. January 2024
    29. December 2023
    30. November 2023
    31. 2023 National Pig Awards supplement
    32. October 2023
    33. September 2023
    34. Health Supplement
    Featured

    July 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    July 6, 2025
    Recent

    July 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    July 6, 2025

    June 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    June 4, 2025

    2025 Innovation supplement now available

    June 4, 2025
  • Suppliers
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Classified
  • Events
    • Pigs Tomorrow
    • National Pig Awards
LinkedIn X (Twitter)
Pig World
EU

NFU seeks Brexit clarity from Leadsom

Alistair DriverBy Alistair DriverFebruary 21, 20174 Mins Read
LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email

NFU president Meurig Raymond sought clarity from Defra Secretary Andrea Leadsom on what Brexit will mean for UK farmers on the opening day of the NFU’s conference.

She responded by outlining five key principles underpinning Defra’s approach to the negotiations but offered little in terms of fresh insight to the 1,000 farmers inside Birmingham’s ICC.

In his opening speech, Mr Raymond said farming would be ‘one of the most impacted sectors post-Brexit’ and highlighted three areas Government needs to take action on if Brexit is to be successful for the country’s food and farming industry.

  • Unrestricted access to the European market
  • Continued access to a competent and reliable workforce both pre and post farm-gate
  • A new agricultural policy which assists in the development of an increasingly productive, progressive and above all profitable farming sector.

He highlighted industry concerns about the prospects of the Government failing to secure a free trade deal with the EU, resulting in UK farmers facing large tariffs on exports.

He said: “The Prime Minister said at Lancaster House that NO deal is better than a bad deal. I say to you Secretary of State that NO deal on trade for agriculture IS a bad deal.”

He also voiced fears about the transition to new global markets, such as Brazil, Russia, India and China.

“We commend the ambition to open up trade with new partners. But how in reality, Secretary of State, will you keep out food produced to a lower standard than our own out? Would the British public want us to start importing beef produced using growth promoting hormones? Or chickens dipped in chlorine?”

On labour, he urged Mts Leadsom to work with the industry ‘as a matter or urgency’ to secure access to labour, permanent and seasonal, for farmers and processors.

“Without a workforce – permanent and seasonal, it wouldn’t matter what a new trade deal looks like, the lights would go out in our biggest manufacturing sector, food will rot in the fields…  and Britain will lose the ability to produce and process its own food,” he said.

Leadsom response 

Following Mr Raymond onto the platform, Mrs Leadsom acknowledged that food and farming ‘arguably faces the biggest change of any sector as we leave the EU’ and promised farmers she would ‘fight your corner at every opportunities’.

While acknowledging she didn’t have the answers farmers sought, she outlined Defra’s five principles for getting a good deal from Brexit, the first of which was trade.

After highlighting the Government’s desire to build new global partnerships and ‘strike the best free trade deals for Britain, she sought to reassure the conference about access to the EU market.

“As the Prime Minister outlined last month, we want tariff-free and frictionless cross-border trade with Europe. So with zero tariffs and zero non-tariff barriers as our starting point, we are striving for the best possible access for our farmers and food exporters.”

She stressed she had heard ‘loud and clear’ the vital role seasonal agricultural workers play in many farm businesses and promised this was being discussed within Government.

However, she added: “But at the same time, we mustn’t forget that a key factor behind the vote to leave the EU was to control immigration.

“So I want to find out what kind of labour you need, in food processing as well as farming, whilst exploring the role innovation can play in support of this.”

Other principles included ensuring farming is: productive and competitive, environmentally sustainable, trusted and resilient.

There was some positive and well-received statements on the badger cull, glyphosate and the Basic Payment Scheme but Brexit was inevitably the central theme.

“I want farmers to thrive outside of the EU, and I will fight to get you the best deal – at home, in Brussels and around the world,” she concluded, without really shedding any new light on how she intended to do just that.

 

Share. LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Email
Previous ArticleMorrisons to recruit 200 new suppliers
Next Article UK meat is safe and that’s official says FSA
Alistair Driver

Editor Pig World, group editor Agronomist and Arable Farmer and Farm Contractor. National Pig Association webmaster. Former political editor at Farmers Guardian. Occasional media pundit. Brought up on a Leicestershire farm. Works from a shed in his Oxfordshire garden.

Read Similar Stories

ABN kicks off pioneering long-term mill project

July 11, 2025

Red Tractor to press ahead with new tiers for outdoor pig producers

July 10, 2025

Last chance to enter or nominate for 2025 National Pig Awards

July 10, 2025
Latest News

ABN kicks off pioneering long-term mill project

July 11, 2025

Red Tractor to press ahead with new tiers for outdoor pig producers

July 10, 2025

Last chance to enter or nominate for 2025 National Pig Awards

July 10, 2025
Sponsored Content

THE GATEKEEPER OF RESPIRATORY HEALTH – MYCOPLASMA HYOPNEUMONIAE (M.HYO)

April 30, 2024

Tackle the root cause of PWD with free diagnostic tests

March 1, 2024
Current Pig Industry jobs
  • Senior-Level Pig Stockperson – Ref 1760 Hampshire

    • Hampshire
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
  • Pig Stockperson – Ref 1759 North Yorkshire

    • North Yorkshire
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
  • Pig Stockperson – Ref 1758 Norfolk

    • Norfolk
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
GETTING IN TOUCH
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Meet The Editors
  • About Us
  • Email Newsletters
  • Subscribe
  • Reuse permissions
OUR SOCIAL CHANNELS
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
PARTNER EVENTS
RELATED SITES
  • Farmers Weekly
  • Agronomist & Arable Farmer
  • Farm Contractor
  • National Pig Awards
  • Pigs Tomorrow
  • Poultry News
  • Weekly Tribune
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
© 2024 MA Agriculture Ltd, a Mark Allen Group company

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.