To secure the future for UK farmers, the agri-food industry must focus on persuading consumers about the quality of local produce, not focus on trying to keep imports out, a leading industry figure has suggested.

Outlining his views on a Save British Farming webinar on Monday, the new chair of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) Nicholas Saphir warned that it will be impossible to stop food imports to the UK.

“Public policy will always be one towards cheap food,” he said.

With much of the debate focused on a US trade agreement, he pointed out that the Americans do not do deals that exclude agriculture, so ultimately if the UK wants a trade deal it may have to compromise on the likes of hormone beef and chlorine chicken.

This is not about defending our market by not allowing in hormone beef or chlorine chicken

He also maintained that other major food exporters such as Australia, New Zealand and South America will be able to meet our standards across a whole range of products.

“This is not about defending our market by not allowing in hormone beef or chlorine chicken. It is about persuading the British consumer that our product is as good, if not better, and that we are on their side and giving them animal welfare and environmental standards they want. All of that is about doing our job well, both on farm and in promotion,” he said.

At retail level, clear food labelling allows consumers to make informed choices, but in the food service sector there are fewer rules, and most consumers when eating out do not ask where their food is from. It is also a very fragmented sector, and apart from the big players such as McDonalds and Burger King, a bit like the “wild west” said Saphir.

He believes that importing countries that do secure UK trade deals will initially target this sector.

With up to 35% of food consumed out of the home in normal times, getting people to support the use of local food in food service is “the biggest challenge of all” he maintained.

Threat

In terms of beef, he suggested that the main threat is not a trade deal with the US, given that the big feedlots there tend to be serviced by smaller farms that cannot produce beef as cheaply as the likes of Brazil. Assuming Irish beef is able to retain its position as the main secondary supplier to the UK as part of an EU trade deal, he believes that the Americans have higher-priced market options elsewhere.

Where the US do threaten is in pork, given that they have access to cheap feed.

Opportunities

But brexit also brings lots of opportunities for UK farmers, said Saphir, mainly due to the home market only being around 65% self-sufficient in stable foods.

He also thinks it is likely that domestic food prices will rise, as imports (even if there is a free trade agreement with the EU) will be met with friction at borders. That will add 4% - 5% costs.

“We are bound to see some food inflation,” suggested Saphir.

For UK exports, he suggested there are new markets to be exploited for the likes of dairy into the US and beef into China.

Crazy

He was also asked about future agricultural policy, and the potential for new environmental rules to put a limit on domestic production, increasing the need to import more.

“Exporting our environmental cost is madness – if that’s what we do, then we are crazy,” Saphir responded.

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