Pig farmers have warned of a disastrous situation if a Brexit ‘no deal’ prevails.

East Anglian Daily Times: Zoe Davies, National Pig Association. Picture: NPAZoe Davies, National Pig Association. Picture: NPA (Image: npa)

Speaking in response to the latest set of Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) technical papers on the implications for live animal exports and animal products, the National Pig Association (NPA) warned that it would be the “worst of all worlds”.

In that scenario, the European Union (EU) would require the UK to be a listed third country. It is expected the process could take at least six months. Without listed status no exports to the EU could take place. In the first seven months of this year more than 110,000 tonnes of pig products were exported to the EU - nearly 60% of all UK pigmeat exports.

NPA chief executive Zoe Davies said: “If exports are blocked but we continue importing pigmeat from the EU in large quantities, as the government appears willing to do, it would blow a huge hole through the economics of the UK pig sector.”