NFU president Minette Batters said last week's (29th) votes on various amendments in the House of Commons did little to provide certainty for the future of food and farming in Britain.

She said that with less than two months to go until Brexit she was "hugely concerned" that a no-deal Brexit was becoming increasingly likely.

Mrs Batters said: "The NFU has been absolutely clear that this would be catastrophic for food production in Britain. Leaving the EU without a deal could well mean a trade embargo is imposed on animals and animal products going to the EU which, along with punitive tariffs on all goods going into the EU, would severely restrict livestock farmers’ export markets.

"Meanwhile, the potential for Government to unilaterally lower import tariffs on food could lead to British farmers being undercut by food coming into the country which may have been produced to lower standards than is legally required of UK farmers."

She was encouraged that the majority of MPs opposed a no-deal scenario but said: "No-deal cannot simply be wished away. An agreement negotiated between the EU and UK, and accepted by Parliament, must be reached urgently to protect the country’s ability to produce its own food and feed its people.

“We are getting to crunch point now. British farming and food production, like the rest of the country, needs to see a deal in place so it can appropriately prepare for life after leaving the EU.”