AS A matter of urgency, the UK dairy industry needs to know where it stands in relation to Brexit – and not least the 2500 UK milk producers who are members of the European milk co-op Arla.

This call came from the managing director of Arla Foods UK, Tomas Pietrangeli, as he addressed the IDF dairy summit in Belfast.

“The farmers that own Arla and the dairy industry as a whole need to know urgently what the government plans look like for the future of food and farming," said Mr Pietrangeli. “That means the early publication of a new agriculture policy next year. Any delays will be detrimental to our industry due to our long-term planning cycles.”

Mr Pietrangeli suggested that the post-Brexit trade deal is likely to be a complex part of the negotiation, noting that the two-year status quo to avoid a cliff edge was reassuring – but still not quite enough to plan well.

"The end of free trade is a major risk," he said. "In order to protect the health of the dairy industry in the UK we need to have tariff-free and barrier free trading conditions. We are a business and an industry that make a significant contribution to the dairy industry and the wider UK economy."

Speaking on the potential scenario of a 'no deal', he said: “If we had a no deal and there is no transitional agreement in place, that would have potentially much bigger implications for the dairy industry and, ultimately, UK consumers.

“It would likely lead to a World Trade Organisation default position where dairy tariffs are high in a low margin industry."

Mr Pietrangeli's speech followed Dairy UK’s recent white paper which laid out the need to protect the dairy industry in the Brexit negotiations. He echoed this concern and laid out the economic impact for Arla's 2500 farmer members.

“One in four UK dairy farmers own Arla. They contribute £820m to the UK economy, with Arla’s total economic footprint in the UK totalling £6bn. The contribution made by our business and farmer owners across Europe to the UK economy would come under severe pressure if Brexit negotiations lead to significant restrictions on free trade and quotas," he warned.

The UK government, he said, must ensure that British agriculture has a prosperous future by giving the industry the time it needs to prepare and grow even stronger

He called on the UK government to deliver a transitional period until 2022, no import/export tariffs, protection of a world leading regulatory framework on food standards, food safety and animal welfare and investment in new entrants and next generation farmers.

"Don't disregard dairy. There will be opportunities from Brexit but we need time to adapt. We need assurance and we need our voice to be heard. Give us the assurance that we can see tangible benefits from the divorce, both in the short and long term.

"Enable us to continue to build and invest in our UK business and grow for the benefit of our farmer owners, colleagues and business partners. And give us a voice – talk to Arla Farmers and partner with us to provide the solutions.”