Government will put tariffs on foreign meat and dairy, Michael Gove tells farmers

Michael Gove told the farmers: “We have been clear - across Government, from the Prime Minister down - that we will not lower our standards in pursuit of trade deals, and that we will use all the tools at our disposal to make sure the standards are protected and you are not left at a competitive disadvantage.”

Ministers have repeatedly said the UK wouldn’t lower its standards, but seemed slower to say it would protect the UK farming industry and consumers from lower standard produce from abroad.

But in his speech to the NFU, Michael Gove said:

“The Government is, of course, doing everything it can not just to secure a deal but also to mitigate the impact of leaving without deal. The NFU and others have made strong arguments about the need to ensure stronger tariff protection for British farming, in particular stronger protection for British farming than any other sector of the economy.

“In particular, you have argued that we need tariffs on sheep meat, beef, poultry, dairy, both milk and cheese; and pig meat in order to safeguard our valuable domestic production. Your concerns have been absolutely heard and announcement on new UK tariffs in a no deal scenario - with specific and robust protections for farming - will be made shortly.”

He also backed the NFU’s suggestion for a Commission on Trade, Food and Farming Standards which would bring together “expertise from across the country and across sectors to ensure that we can maintain the world-class standards which give British food producers their well-deserved global reputation.”

Sustain is gathering the views of members on the idea for a Commission but would need to see more detail on how it would work and its views be represented and enforced. So far ministers have refused to put the measures protecting UK farmers into legislation in either the agriculture or trade bills and Sustain continues to lobby for this to happen.