NFU President Minette Batters met with Joachim Rukwied, President of the German farming union, Deutscher Bauernverband (DBV) in Berlin to discuss upcoming priority issues for the sector.

Commenting on the meeting, the two Presidents said in a joint statement: “Our organisations have consistently told our governments in both the UK and Germany that farmers need a political and trading environment that allows them to thrive. It is crucial that we maintain free and frictionless trade with our nearest neighbours and closest trading partners. We therefore need to avoid a no deal Brexit and for the UK to leave the EU in a smooth and orderly manner that enables our industries to continue to be productive, profitable and progressive.

“We will continue to ensure that politicians and policy makers understand the importance of a strong farming industry. We are proud that our members deliver for the public on food safety, quality and sustainability. Our standards of production are among the best in the world and must not be undermined by trade deals.

“Agriculture is in a unique position when it comes to climate change. We are both on the front line of climate impacts and the sector that can deliver solutions. We are committed to improving farming’s productive ef­ficiency, improving land management and changing land use to capture more carbon and boosting renewable energy.

“We need wide support for this approach from the public, researchers and especially governments across Europe. This challenge must not prevent us feeding consumers with high quality, affordable food, nor see climate ambitions met by exporting production to other countries. Every farmer across Europe has a unique role to play, some large, some small, but all must play their part to make Europe the home of climate-friendly food.”