Farming subsidies were the main subject of discussion when farmers met to debate the forthcoming referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union.
Prime Minister David Cameron has been touring Europe trying to come up with a deal to persuade British voters to vote to remain within the EU. Recent opinion polls suggest that the mood amongst the electorate has been moving towards breaking the United Kingdom’s ties with the other 27 EU nations.
Nearly 200 farmers gathered at a meeting organised by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society to look at the implications of leaving the EU. Academics and farmers’ leaders outlined what could happen if the country was to leave the union, and answered farmers’ questions about the options.
The NFU wants British farmers and growers to have more information about how their businesses will be affected if Britain stays in or leaves the EU, as the country prepares to decide how it will vote on the EU referendum.
In light of the ongoing uncertainties the NFU is currently working with leading agricultural research institute from the Netherlands, LEI Wageningen, to model the potential impact of a Brexit under three separate trading scenarios.
In each of the scenarios the effects of three different levels of agricultural support will be estimated. The impact of these policy changes on UK commodities production, domestic farm-gate prices, farm incomes and trade flows will be modelled.
The LEI Wageningen study will also identify which elements of agricultural and trade policy the NFU will lobby for if the referendum results in the UK leaving the EU.
Today, Mr Raymond will meet a group of nine British MEPs in Brussels to express the NFU’s list of nine key questions on UK farming’s relationship with the EU now and in the future.
See also
Brexit 'may not be beneficial for UK farmers' claims new report
Farmers deserve a ‘plan B’ to end Brexit uncertainty
