According to a recent article in The Independent, unless Theresa May achieves the favourable free trade deal she has promised with the EU, it's inevitable that there will be a major impact on EU produce, which makes up 30 per cent of the UK’s food imports.
While ministers appear confident there will be no problems, Lord Teverson, the committee’s chairman, says that "... representatives of the food and farming industry, importers, port authorities and consumer organisations were vocal in their concerns.”
Fruit and vegetables, in particular, could become more expensive, with 40 per cent of vegetables and 37 per cent of fruit sold in the UK coming from the EU.
So, yet again, there appears to be a disconnect between government and industry in the way they view the outcomes of various Brexit scenarios. One thing is for sure, with half the UK’s food being imported, with 30 per cent from the EU, 11 per cent from countries with EU trade deals and the rest from other countries, there will be some kind of effect in the event of am no-deal Brexit and we can only hope the trade storm that ensues will be a mere zephyr and blow over without irreparable damage.
We can only hope – because no one in government seems to have any solid answers for us.