British Farm Exports to EU Suffer 37% Decline Since Brexit, NFU Reports
Exports of British farm products to the European Union have plummeted by nearly 40% in the five years following Brexit, according to a stark analysis by the National Farmers' Union (NFU). The data, derived from HMRC figures, reveals a 37.4% drop in sales from 2019, the last full year before the UK's departure from the EU, highlighting the persistent trade barriers that have emerged since the 2020 divorce.
Severe Sectoral Impacts and Long-Term Recovery Challenges
The poultry sector has borne the brunt of this decline, with exports down 37.7%, followed by beef exports falling 23.6%, lamb down 14%, and dairy products declining 15.6%. NFU President Tom Bradshaw emphasised that while not all losses can be attributed solely to Brexit, the scale of damage is undeniable. He cautioned that merely reducing trade friction will not automatically revive EU markets for British food producers.
"Simply reducing friction doesn't mean we are going to get the EU market back again," Bradshaw stated. "There aren't empty spaces on the shelves with a label saying 'waiting for British products.' Rebuilding demand will take time, effort, and real focus." This underscores the NFU's warning that restoring pre-Brexit export levels could require years of sustained effort.
UK-EU Reset Negotiations and Defence Programme Collapse
This analysis emerges as the UK and EU aim to establish fortnightly political phone meetings to smooth negotiations on farming and other aspects of their relationship reset, targeting progress ahead of a leaders' summit scheduled for May or June. Cabinet Office and EU Relations Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds and European Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič recently agreed to formalise talks to address issues proactively.
A government source noted, "We want to step the political engagement up even further to iron out issues and drive forward negotiations. Both sides are keen to get positive results and keep building." However, the collapse of talks over the UK's participation in the EU's €150 billion Safe defence programme has been viewed as a failure of statecraft, with disagreements over funding—€2 billion demanded by the EU versus "hundreds of millions" offered by the UK—highlighting broader diplomatic challenges.
NFU Calls for Transitional Measures and Innovation Safeguards
In the near term, the NFU is advocating for a deal that ensures British farmers have adequate time to transition to new rules applicable to the GB market. The union also seeks exemptions to protect areas of progress and innovation, such as gene editing for disease-resistant crops, where England has moved faster than the EU.
Bradshaw argued, "The EU is behind us, but moving in the same direction on plants. My argument to the EU is if you genuinely want to adopt this in the EU, don't put the handbrake on the UK." He highlighted that the UK's independent status has enabled quicker approvals for vaccines and plant protection products, urging the EU to recognise these advances through "carve outs and transition arrangements" to prevent legally grown crops from becoming unsellable post-agreement.
