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We must not betray our food values - NFU president

2nd Jan 2020 / By Alistair Driver

NFU President Minette Batters has highlighted the need to uphold the UK's food values as we enter in post-Brexit trade deals. 

BattersIn her New Year message, Mrs Batters said the December election meant we can finally say with some certainty that the UK will be leaving the EU on January 31.

“The outcome of the election gives us an opportunity to reset and re-energise for 2020. For the NFU, this means working with the government to ensure that British farming can thrive post-Brexit and creating every opportunity to champion our farming standards which are some of the best in the world.

"Top of the priority list must be reaching a trade deal with the EU – one which supports a profitable and sustainable UK farming sector – by the end of 2020," she said.

“In Britain we have some of the highest standards of animal welfare, environmental protection and food safety in the world. Our farmers have worked hard to earn this place on the global stage and are rightly proud of their reputation.

"It is imperative that our food values are upheld as we enter into international trade negotiations with parties such as the US, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. We cannot risk betraying these values by allowing food imports such as chlorinated chicken and hormone-fed beef – food that has been produced in ways that are illegal here – onto our supermarket shelves."