Suppliers join forces for best farm Brexit deal

Agricultural suppliers representing more than £8bn in annual turnover have joined forces to secure the best Brexit deal for UK farming.

The Agri-Brexit Coalition is a new grouping of eight organisations and trade associations involved in agribusiness and the supply trade.

It aims to inform and influence the UK government and devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to achieve a positive Brexit outcome for agriculture.

See also: Farm suppliers urged to unite for best Brexit deal

The group says it is focusing on key issues which are pertinent to the UK trade and supply of goods, services, technology and advice to UK farmers.

Founding members of the coalition include the Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC), which has 260 members across sectors including animal feed, crop protection, fertiliser and seed.

The coalition covered the agricultural supply chain in its widest sense, said AIC chief executive David Caffall, who is acting as the coalition’s co-ordinator.

It included plant breeders, animal health and other organisations with an interest in agri-technology research and development, he said.

“Members of this coalition are the principal means by which knowledge is transferred and technical advance implemented on farm,” said Mr Caffall.

“We have expertise across all these areas and we would like to offer that expertise to people who are formulating the UK’s post-Brexit farm policy.”

Mr Caffall said it was important that agricultural suppliers had a say in policy.

“One thing all observers agree on is that UK agriculture plc absolutely needs to up its game in the future – and our coalition members are people capable of providing those tools.”

The next stage was to draw up a list detailing four areas that the coalition could help with when it came to devising a future policy for agriculture.

Those areas were supply, trade, technology and advice.

Co-operation

“We are very conscious that as a coalition we are not an island – we want and fully expect to co-operate very closely with the farming unions and the food industry too.”

The fertiliser sector was already discussing the implications of Brexit with other big users of energy, such as ceramics sector.

Similarly, animal health providers were looking very strongly to the pharmaceuticals industry.

The farm unions were also aware of the coalition’s formation, said Mr Caffall.

“Policy-makers can’t easily talk to tens or dozens of organisations, so it makes sense to be as joined up as much as we possibly can.”