Michael Gove warns farmers no-deal Brexit not like 'one week of bad weather'
The environment secretary suggests tariffs could be implemented on imported food to protect the UK's agriculture sector.
Tuesday 19 February 2019 15:10, UK
The environment secretary has warned of the damage and delays a no-deal Brexit would create for British farmers and food producers.
Michael Gove suggested the lack of infrastructure for mandatory checks at Calais could "fur up the arteries" of commerce.
And he suggested tariffs could be implemented on imported food to protect the UK's agriculture sector.
With just less than 40 days to go until the UK's scheduled departure from the EU and the prospect of a no-deal scenario still a possibility, Mr Gove said: "Let no one be in any doubt how difficult and damaging it would be.
"We would get through it - but I emphatically do not want to run the risk that leaving without a deal would involve.
"I don't want people to be under any illusions that no deal is something you can shrug off like one week of bad weather.
"Small businesses and small livestock farmers would inescapably be the worst hit."
Pressed on whether the government's proposed Brexit deal will be approved by MPs if changes to the Irish border backstop arrangements can be struck he said: "I am optimistic but it is one of those things where you don't want to leave anything to chance."
NFU President Minette Batters told the conference that a no-deal divorce from the EU was "the stuff of nightmares" for British farmers.
She said farming was in a period "uncertainty on a scale we have never seen before".
"It is absolutely shocking that farmers and wider businesses are in this position," Ms Batters added.
The UK is currently 60% self-sufficient in terms of food production and so is still reliant on importing produce, much of it from Europe.
Mr Gove said that if Britain does leave without an agreement "we can expect, at least in the short term, those delays in Calais will impede the loading of ferries, constricting supply routes back into Britain and furring up the arteries of commerce on which we all rely".
"It will not be the case that we will have zero rate tariffs on products, there will be protections for sensitive sections of agriculture and food production," he continued.
Mr Gove urged MPs to back Prime Minister Theresa May's deal and reminded farmers that breaking free from EU regulations in an orderly way would allow them to continue setting the very highest standards of animal welfare, food production and environmental protection.