Hogan made an impassioned speech on the consequences of Britain leaving the EU to over 450 delegates present at the UK’s most important farm conference.

He highlighted the importance of Europe to the British market by singling out the trade that takes place between Ireland and UK. "Today, the UK exports more to Ireland than it does to China, Japan, Canada, Russia, Saudi Arabia and South Korea combined. The EU accounts for 60% of the UK's food exports, " the Commissioner said.

He also said that in the event of an exit from the EU, Britain's access to the EU's internal market would come at a price. "Ask Switzerland and Norway," he said. "Would the British Exchequer be prepared to pay a price that fully guaranteed your access for agricultural products? Would it expect farmers to pay part of the access fee through higher taxes?"

He added that Britain, with a population of 60m, could not expect to fare as well as the EU in attempting to negotiate with countries such as China, with a population 1.3bn. "In the EU it punches at a weight of 500m, almost twice the size of the US. It could take the UK years to negotiate deals with Korea, Canada and so on – deals the EU has already successfully negotiated."

Hogan also addressed the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) simplification, saying the next round of simplification will see 200 existing EU regulations reduced to 40 or 50, cutting red tape for farmers.

EU is 'damaging farmers'

Hogan was challenged by the presentation of Owen Paterson, former UK Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Paterson argued that the UK has a "great future beyond the political arrangements of the EU" and said this "particularly applies to agriculture and environment".

He said that agriculture and food production is hampered by the UK's membership of the CAP, adding that compromises accepted by the country following CAP negotiations are "are at best deeply unsatisfactory and at worst actively damaging to UK farmers".

He also reassured delegates that those who currently trade with Europe have nothing to fear, as in the event of a Brexit, European countries' "enormous strategic and selfish interest in continuing to export to us" will ensure the UK can still trade freely with its European neighbours.

He also criticised the pan-European environment policy, saying it has proved "impossible".

"Many aspects of greening are intrusive, costly and difficult to administer – some are wholly unsuited to the UK environment, such as the three-crop rule," Paterson said.

The government of British prime minister David Cameron is promising to hold a referendum on the UK's participation in the EU before the end of 2017.

However, Cameron recently said that an exit from the EU is "not the right answer" for Britain.

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Consequences for Ireland of Brexit