EU Referendum: What Would Brexit Mean for Farming?

Tomorrow, the people of the UK have a big decision to make about whether the country should remain part of the European Union, or leave and go it alone. But what has been said throughout the campaign about the impact on farming?

A number of academic studies highlighted the uncertainties involved in a leave vote. An early February report from Professor Wyn Grant of the University of Warwick and the Farmer-Scientist Network said it was it was hard to see any advantage to British farmers in leaving the EU, due to a lack of planning for Brexit making it difficult for farmers to plan for their future business.

UK farming ministers are divided on the issue, with Environment Secretary Liz Truss on the remain side, but Minister for Farming, Food and the Marine Environment George Eustice campaigning to leave.

A Brexit would also have an impact on farming in other countries. CME analysts Steve Meyer and Len Steiner said this week the vote has the potential to dramatically impact broader financial markets, causing significant changes in currency values and affect short term growth projections for the global economy.

They said the most important implication in the short term for US livestock producers is what happens to the value of the US dollar and the effect this has on the relative price of US products sold overseas.

Read our summary of what different industry stakeholders have had to say about the vote.