Farmers are warning that a no-deal Brexit would be "savage" as they call for assurances on Britain's commitment to high animal welfare standards.

Minette Batters, president of the National Farmers' Union, said farmers face being locked out of trade for six to nine months if Britain leaves the EU on 29 March without a deal.

Image: Minette Batters, from the NFU, called a no-deal 'savage' for farmers

Should Britain not agree a deal with the EU, it will revert to trading on World Trade Organisation rules.

Ms Batters told Sophy Ridge on Sunday the impact of a no-deal Brexit on food and agriculture would be "huge", with 95% of animal medicines and vaccines coming across the Channel from the EU.

She added: "The real aspect of why crashing out is so bad, for food in general, is when we talk about food inflation. The government doesn't want a rise of more than 5%.


"It's prepared to allow food to come in without any tariffs.

"For animals and products we would have a trade embargo, we would be on third-party, favoured nation status so we could be carved out for six months or longer - organics could be out for nine months or longer.

"When we regain access, we face the high tariff wall of the EU.

"The government intends to impose its own tariff wall but potentially no wall on food imports. It can't do that for the EU alone, it has to for the rest of world.

"We would be subsumed by cheap imports."

Ms Batters said British consumers value the high standards of animal welfare practised by farmers as well as food safety but warned it was at risk.

The union president said it could be possible to feed Britons with produce grown in the UK, but admitted there were likely to be problems getting enough workers to pick fruit and vegetables.

'Agriculture and food is always the last chapter in any trade deal to be agreed' - National Farmers' Union president @Minette_Batters says agriculture has to be part of any free trade agreement with the EU. #Ridge



For more, head here: https://t.co/y0ZoN9dk4C pic.twitter.com/RBF5kNsm2o — Ridge on Sunday (@RidgeOnSunday) February 3, 2019

She said: "Even now, we could have been producing fruit and veg at home.

"We have been reliant on seasonal workers. We have been the preferred destination for people to pick fruit and veg and that is all in jeopardy.

"I was with Riverford Organic this week and Guy Watson told me they are reliant on bringing in broccoli and other things from Spain.

"We have a heavy frost and snow, but in spring, summer, autumn, we can produce more, but this time of year we are into root veg, leeks, brussels sprouts.

"People have got used to a wide variety and anything they want - seasonality is a forgotten past."

Britain produces about 60% of all the food consumed within its borders, and is self-sufficient in milk, as liquid milk cannot be imported.

However, Ms Batters warned against hopes that food would be cheaper after Brexit, saying Britain is already the third cheapest food producer in the world.

She added: "Many would say food is far too cheap in this country with British farmers and growers getting 6%.

"It is savage for us getting a no-deal - we would see a long term future of getting cheap imports in."

Ms Batters said she had received "warm words" from minister when discussing the future of farm animal welfare and food safety, but the NFU wants the commitment in writing.

The NFU's intervention comes after several warnings about food supplies in the UK after Brexit, with concerns about problems at the border, and the UK's 'just-in-time' supply chain.

Earlier this week, UK retailers' industry group the British Retail Consortium wrote to MPs saying no-deal Brexit would lead to higher food prices and empty shelves.

It also emerged that Britain has begun stockpiling food, fuel, spare parts and ammunition at military bases in Gibraltar, Cyprus and the Falklands in case of a no-deal Brexit.