Villiers comments give certainty - UFU

Mr Ferguson said it gives farmers some much needed certainty in relation to direct payments, which are crucial for many farm businesses and help to ensure the production of the affordable, high-quality food that consumers demand.

He added: “Further to this commitment, it is essential Northern Ireland’s share of UK funding is maintained, and that we have the ability to regionalise agricultural policy. Farming in Northern Ireland is very different to farming in the south of England and regionalisation will ensure that the delivery of this funding best suits the differing needs and structure of our industry here.

“As the Brexit process progresses, it is vital that NI’s competitiveness in the all-island economy is maintained. The level of support payments given to agriculture in the Republic of Ireland must be tracked and matched.”

Meanwhile the Defra Secretary has told the BBC that chlorine-washed chicken and hormone-treated beef will not be allowed into the UK under any trade deal with the US.

She added that the current EU ban on such imports will be carried over into UK legislation following Brexit.

Villiers said: “We will not be importing chlorinated-chicken. We will not be importing hormone-treated beef. Both of those are illegal under EU law, which we are importing into our domestic system.

“There are legal barriers to their import and those are going to stay in place.”

Villiers said the Government would “hold the line” in any trade negotiations with the US and would “defend our national interests and our values, including our high standards of animal welfare”.

According to the BBC, this is the first time the government has explicitly stated that chlorinated chicken or hormone-fed beef imports into the UK will not be allowed regardless of any new trade deal with the USA. The interview will be aired on Countryfile on Sunday evening.

While attending the Oxford Farming Conference the Defra Secretary suggested the UK could introduce tariffs on imports of food from countries with lower food standards.

But she had stopped short of making any promises on specific standards or maintaining the current law itself.

Also speaking at the conference was National Farmers’ Union of England and Wales President Minette Batters. She urged the government to commit to introducing a food standards commission that scrutinises future trade deals and safeguards British farming’s place as a global leader in climate-friendly food.

Batters added:“This year will be the greatest reset for our food and farming system since the 1940s and the decisions made by this government will be felt for decades to come. We must once again recognise that there is nothing more important to our economy, our health and our environment than the very food we eat.

“One year ago, I declared that British farming could achieve net zero by 2040. The defining factor to reach that goal and help tackle climate change is a willing government. We are already leading the way in producing climate-friendly food in this country and this government has a chance to enshrine the UK as global leader in sustainability.