That potential solution to a bad Brexit deal was voiced by George Lyon, a former member of the European Parliament and an independent member of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board.
Addressing a Brexit-based debate at the Royal Highland Show, near Edinburgh, he named lamb as a big concern, saying the UK exported 100,000 tonnes to continental Europe, a trade Britain didn't want to lose.
"At the same time, we accept 100,000 tonnes of imported lamb under the EU's tariff-free quota for Australia and NZ," he said.
"So, if we get a bad deal on lamb we can just say to Europe, ‘You keep the NZ and Australian quota and we'll just keep our own lambs on a quid-pro-quo basis’."
Lyon said Britain stood to benefit from the Republic of Ireland's heavy dependence on farm exports into the UK, which included about 200,000 tonnes of dairy products and more than 175,000 tonnes of beef.
"If producers in Ireland don't get access to that trade after Brexit they will have a huge problem.
"They won't have much of a future in such circumstances.
"Agricultural trade is going to be absolutely essential in helping to establish a frictionless border in Ireland, which is why I believe the Irish question will actually help us get a good trade deal for agri goods and products with the EU."
The one exception was lamb, hence his suggestion the EU could keep all its tariff-free intake from NZ and Australia and leave British lamb producers to focus on feeding their own consumers.
Perthshire beef and sheep farmer Jim Fairlie, who also addressed the debate, was generally positive about Britain's post-Brexit future though he voiced concerns about how transition to the new regime might work.
"We were asked to comment, for the debate, whether or not we believe UK agriculture will thrive outside the EU and I believe it will," he said.
"The caveat is what will happen to Scottish agriculture and the biggest threat we face is exactly what the Australian Prime Minister said recently, namely that he was happy to do deals with the UK but not based on protecting Welsh or Scottish hill farmers.
"The UK wants to trade with the rest of the world but at what cost?
“Australians don't want to buy our lamb but they do want to do deals on financial services. So, if we sell them financial services, what will we need to take back in return?
"What is going to be sacrificed on the altar of these trade deals? That's my biggest concern."
