With 35% of British lamb exported and 96% of that being sold into the European Union the 230-vote rejection of the Brexit deal by the country’s Parliament adds to the likelihood of the United Kingdom making a no-deal exit from the EU, the NSA warned.
“A no-deal would result in the immediate loss of EU access with no alternative options and would cause immense disruption to our markets for months if not longer,” chief executive Phil Stocker said.
Warning further that when markets finally reopen, UK producers could face EU tariffs as high as 50%, Stocker said Britain could see a sharp decline in the national flock with few alternatives for many farmers and the loss of the infrastructure that supports the UK industry.
“No one should be fooled into thinking we are protecting our industry for its own sake.
“Our sheep farmers are producing highly nutritious food for the nation, the most sustainable fibre on the planet as well as keeping our countryside and rural communities they way most people like them.
“Agriculture and sheep farming are of national interest and now is the time for MPs to start providing us with answers,” he said.
