UK farmer on Brexit fears, uncertainties for 2021

British sheep farmers are up in arms as steep tariffs could tank ir industry if a free tre deal is t reached with European Union before end of Brexit transition period. According to National Farmers Union (NFU), 30-40 per cent of lamb produced in UK goes to EU and sheep farmers have been told that y could face 48-60 per cent tariffs if re is a deal Brexit.

This would make sheep farming unprofitable, especially if UK was to import cheap lamb from places like South America and US which would wipe out much of domestic market. Gloucestershire farmer Matt Hobbs' family have been in industry for generations and his own flock counts 450 ewes. He decided to make most of last days of being inside EU's single market and send as many ewes as possible to market, as in two weeks time re might t be a demand for his sheep.

On Thursday morning he loed 78 sheep into his truck and heed for livestock market in nearby Cirencester. France is main market within EU for British lamb and Hobbs sai up to three quarters of ewes sold here go to Paris.

Richard Findlay, chairman of livestock board for National Farmers Union, said that many farmers were trying to sell before deline. Findlay said deal would be catastrophic for sheep farmers, but even a deal would entail huge amounts of disruption.  NFU said more than 90 per cent of lamb exports go to EU.