The UK’s trade in agricultural goods is largely with the EU, so maintaining access to this market in a free and frictionless way is a priority, writes NFU Brexit adviser Lucia Zitti.
Only when the long-term UK-EU relationship is agreed and clearly defined should the UK government begin to engage in formal trade negotiations with third countries (i.e. countries beyond the EU).
New trading conditions must account for differences in regulations and standards to ensure that UK farmers are not put at a competitive disadvantage to producers elsewhere in the world who are subject to different standards.
Expanding our network of trade relations presents both opportunities and threats to our domestic production.
Read our sector by sector analysis to see how your business could be affected (these pages are for members only - you will be asked to log in)
Dairy
Read the Brexit team's expert analysis for the dairy sector, including an exploration of the potential impact of a hard border in Ireland on historical dairy supply chains, the challenges posed by potential export/import to/from the US and the opportunities that may arise for trade with the highly-protected Canadian market and for UK dairy PGI and PDO products.
Crops
Read the Brexit team's expert analysis for the crops sector, including the importance of how Maximum Residue Levels will be dealt with through trade negotiation and potential non-EU export markets for wheat and barley.
Livestock
Read the Brexit team's expert analysis for the livestock sector, including the complicated issue of Tariff Rate Quotas and export opportunities in North America and Asia.
Poultry
Read the Brexit team's expert analysis for the poultry sector, particularly on the UK poultry meat and egg sector's sensitivities in terms of exposure to imports produced to different standards.
Horticulture and potatoes
Read the Brexit team's expert analysis for the horticulture and potatoes sector, where securing a tariff-free and frictionless trade relationship with the EU is a key priority.
Sugar
Read the Brexit team's expert analysis for the sugar sector, including the opportunity to create a trade policy putting UK growers on a level playing field and an analysis of potential export markets in North Africa and the Middle East.
Pigs
Read the Brexit team's expert analysis for the pig sector, where maintaining access to the European market is especially important but there are numerous opportunities in other global markets.