Written by John Swire
Carter Jonas, the national property consultancy, has reacted to the Prime Minister’s visit to Wales today to meet with rural communities and discuss the impact of Brexit on agriculture. The company’s rural division advises farmers and landowners across England and Wales.
Mark Charter, partner, Carter Jonas, said: “It is significant that Boris Johnson has made early visits to both Wales and Scotland, as he is tackling the two most contentious areas facing him from an agricultural context head on. A no deal Brexit will have far reaching consequences for the farming industry, but certain sectors will be more affected than others.
“The lamb industry, which is predominantly located in Wales, will be greatly impacted and he needs to outline a substantial plan that will provide essential support to farmers immediately. Trade deals will be essential to overcome tariffs, but we need to have robust alternative plans in place if Brexit thwarts the lamb industry. It may all work itself out in five years, but that is a long time and there could be a catastrophic impact in the short term to these rural communities.
“With Boris Johnson taking an active interest in rural affairs, we would now like to see a cohesive strategy for these communities which will in turn provide a welcome economic boost. Initiatives on rural broadband, road and transport links, affordable housing, diversification and tourism need to be unified. We work across both England and Wales, and can see the variation between different farming areas. For example, landowners in the homes counties have more opportunities currently than a farmer of a small sheep farm in the Welsh valleys so we need to make sure support is universal.”
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