UK farmer on Brexit fears, uncertainties for 2021

British sheep farmers are up in arms as steep tariffs could tank their industry if a free trade deal is not reached with the European Union before the end of the Brexit transition period. According to the National Farmers Union (NFU), 30-40 per cent of lamb produced in the UK goes to the EU and sheep farmers have been told that they could face 48-60 per cent tariffs if there is a no deal Brexit.

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

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

Richard Findlay, the chairman of the livestock board for the National Farmers Union, said that many farmers were trying to sell before the deadline. Findlay said no deal would be catastrophic for sheep farmers, but even a deal would entail huge amounts of disruption. The NFU said more than 90 per cent of lamb exports go to the EU.