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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jan/03/no-deal-brexit-would-cause-turbulence-for-farmers-says-gove

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No-deal Brexit would cause turbulence for farmers, says Gove No-deal Brexit would severely disrupt UK farming, says Gove
(35 minutes later)
The environment secretary, Michael Gove, has said there will be considerable turbulence in sectors such as agriculture if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. A no-deal Brexit would spell severe disruption for the UK’s farming and food industries, and hardship for small farmers in particular, the environment secretary, Michael Gove, has said.
He said the UK could flourish over time even without a deal, but “the turbulence which will be generated by our departure without a deal would be considerable. It would hit worst those who are our smaller farmers and farm businesses.” Tariffs of as much as 40% would be slapped on British exports and products destined for the EU would be subject to a strict inspection regime, which would cause hold-ups and delays. Small farmers would be most at risk from the effects, Gove told the Oxford Farming Conference, adding that the “real gains” from Brexit, such as leaving the EU’s common agricultural policy, would be at risk in the event of no deal.
He said tariffs, border checks, potential delays for recognition of organic products and labour pressures would all add to costs for food producers. “My principal concern is [over the] checking of foods when travelling into the EU, the inspections – all of these things add up,” he said. “While we would adjust to the challenge, we wouldn’t necessarily [be able to] in the short term and farmers, especially small farmers, would face barriers to trade.”
“Nobody can be blithe or blase about the real impacts on food producers in this country of leaving without the deal,” he told the Oxford Farming Conference.
Gove said leaving the EU would rejuvenate the UK’s democracy and free the country from the “bureaucratic straightjacket” of Europe’s common agricultural policy. The UK would also “develop a more vibrant farming sector with access to technologies on which the EU is turning its back”, he said.
No-deal Brexit will raise food prices, says Michael GoveNo-deal Brexit will raise food prices, says Michael Gove
“Leaving the EU will end support for inefficient area-based payments, which reward the wealthy and hold back innovation, and we can move to support genuine productivity enhancement and public goods like clean air, climate change mitigation or the improvement of soil, or water quality or improvements to pollinator habitats,” he said. He strongly backed Theresa May’s proposed deal, which parliament is expected to vote on later this month, though he admitted it was not perfect. “We must not make the perfect the enemy of the good,” he said.
Brexit also offered an opportunity to support organic farming, landscape restoration and improving public access, Gove said. “All of these are real gains that our departure from the EU can bring, but these real gains risk being undermined if we leave the EU without a deal.” Gove’s warnings were backed up by Minette Batters, the president of the National Farmers’ Union, who called on the government to give farmers firm guidance on how Brexit would affect them, and put in place plans to ensure the UK’s food supply was secure throughout the process of leaving the EU.
“We are less than 90 days away from Brexit and there is still enormous uncertainty about the future and how domestic food production fits into that,” she said.
Batters stressed the importance of healthy food in people’s lives, saying problems such as obesity were the result of bad diets, rather than bad food. “When I speak to people about food, they do recognise the importance of our sector to our economy, to our environment, and to our food security,” she said. “Food is one of the fundamentals of life. Its importance cannot be overstated. A government that fails to deliver a Brexit that gets this right will fail us all.”
Batters took aim at Gove’s proposals for a new agriculture bill, which many farmers fear overemphasises the importance of safeguards for the environment over food production. She said: “If we ever turn the food production tap off, we will massively struggle to turn it back on again.”
She demanded firmer assurances that the UK would not be flooded with cheap food imports from countries with lower standards than British farmers must adhere to. “If you believe it, write it down,” she challenged Gove.
BrexitBrexit
Michael GoveMichael Gove
FarmingFarming
Trade policy
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