The conclusion of talks with the EU on a Brexit withdrawal agreement will only mark the start of a much longer process in the form of free-trade agreement negotiations, National Farmers’ Union vice-president Stuart Roberts has said.

“This is the end of the preface that comes before chapter one of the real story,” Roberts told MPs on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs committee on Wednesday.

The Hertfordshire farmer said an EU-UK future trade agreement needs to allow as frictionless trade as possible because the EU will remain the UK’s closest trading partner.

It’s a new way of working and I don’t really see the signs that that lesson has been learned yet

“When it comes to trading, we can all talk about economies, we can all talk about populations, but geography is pretty important. Europe and the UK are not changing their geography,” he said.

Also speaking to MPs, Nick Allen from the British Meat Processors Association said UK civil servants should work more closely with industry when developing new trading relationships after Brexit.

“They couldn’t possibly know enough about products, the supply chain and all the rest of it to make detailed, technical decisions. It’s a new way of working and I don’t really see the signs that that lesson has been learned yet,” he said.

Meanwhile, the UK has regained listing with the EU as a third country earlier this week which will allow trade to take place in the event of a no-deal Brexit, albeit with significant tariffs and regulatory requirements.

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