NSA chief Stocker calls for MPS to back May deal
With politicians running around like proverbial headless chickens over Brexit, sheep farmers have called for decisions to be made to provide certainty in their world where long term planning is required.
Referring to the possibility of this country coming out without a deal, Phil Stocker, chief executive of the National Sheep Association, said this was what the industry feared.
“While there may be no shortage of people in the UK that seem prepared to crash out and just get the job done, all evidence suggests that for the sake of the UK’S sheep industry something needs to give quickly to prevent our industry having a devastating shake up,” he said.
“We have been repeatedly warning of the risks of a no deal Brexit, and it now seems more likely than ever that our concerns may be realised.”
Stocker called on MPS to support the Prime Minister’s deal, which he described as the key to the door for a continued trading relationship with the EU. “Without that we’re facing the disturbing reality that sometime very soon we face a disorderly exit
causing huge turmoil for the sheep industry. Beyond the uncertainty of what we are expecting now, farmers are bracing for what could potentially be one of the most turbulent years in our trading history.”
Further angering Stocker was the fact that the UK’S trading status with the EU post Brexit had not been established.
Within the UK, the allimportant Agriculture Bill which will determine future farm policy was lying mouldering during the Brexit wrangling. Stocker claimed, “We need the legislation cleared to ensure future provisions are set in stone, to ensure security for the future of the industry.
“All we know is that the sun will come up in the morning and go down again at night while our industry is being told it
should plan more effectively for the future”.
Two months ago, the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Michael Gove made a great play on the introduction of tariffs when the UK left Europe. But Stocker pointed out these barriers did not apply to the 114,000 tonnes of sheepmeat a year entering the UK from New Zealand.
Stocker added “This offers very little in dealing with the imminent problem of an over burden of lamb in the UK market if our exports are disrupted.
“Very quickly oversupplies will drive lamb prices down, making production unprofitable, with a need to draw on government support to avoid forcing some farmers out of business.”