The Yorkshire Post says: Farmers must not be the forgotten people of Brexit

There is growing concern about what Brexit will mean for farmers

Which makes today’s intervention by more than 100 key players in the farming and food sector a timely reminder that the Government must heed what they have to say and give far greater consideration to them than has so far been the case.

In particular, the  question of what future immigration policy will mean for the army of migrant workers that agriculture relies upon to harvest the crops needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency.

It has long been the case that foreign workers are essential to Britain’s food production.

This is an issue that cannot be ignored, fudged or swept under the carpet, and the farmers’ call for the Government to spell out what it intends to do in a white paper must be addressed.

Similarly, questions over post-Brexit trade deals and the regulatory regime are of prime importance. The National Farmers Union points out that the farming and food sector is worth £112bn to Britain and employs four million people.

That underlines the necessity of the Government placing the sector at the forefront of its thinking on Brexit, and not, as it currently appears to be, an afterthought.

Ministers should provide answers to the questions posed and reassurance that agriculture is properly valued, without delay.