After months of negotiations The UK and EU have agreed a new post-Brexit reset trade deal Sir Keir Starmer declared "Britain is back on the world stage", while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it was a "historic moment".
How much this benefits the fresh produce sector remains to be seen, as details are still to be released, but the big positive is that the vast majority of routine border checks on animal and plant shipments to and from the EU will be dropped.
This deal will also remove "routine checks" on animal and plant products moving between Great Britain and Northern Ireland and will reduce, but not remove, the trade border in the Irish Sea which was introduced as a result of Brexit.
When the deal is eventually implemented it should mean no physical checks on GB food products at NI ports but customs declarations will still be needed.
NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: "The government's ambition to make it easier for the sector to trade with our largest overseas partner is welcome. Of course, as always in trade agreements, the detail is king and we will be scrutinising the specifics of this deal as they become available in the coming weeks, and as talks continue between the UK Government and the EU."
Early positives of the deal include the outline of a Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement, which will reduce barriers for UK farmers and growers to export to the EU. Over the past five years, UK agri-food exports to the EU have stagnated with double-digit reductions in export volumes across a variety of farming sectors. This deal has the potential to deliver a more mutually beneficial trading environment for UK farmers and growers. For example, once the details are finalised, we expect UK growers will again be able to export seed potatoes to the continent and enable smoother trade for sectors such as horticulture and crops which rely on imports of seeds and young plants.
Exports of UK seed potatoes to the EU between 2016-2020 (the years preceding the end of the transition period) were worth £12.3 million on average.
The Precision Breeding Bill, will help farmers improve resilience to climate change, enhance productivity and deliver nutritious food.
"The government has clearly listened to these concerns. With the scope to remove Export Health Certificates and cumbersome controls at the border, this deal will deliver many benefits for agri-food exports to the EU," said Tom Bradshaw. "However, there remain important questions about what is within the scope of this agreement and, where current rules and regulations do differ, if there will be any exclusions."
The deal still needs to be finalised which could take several months, implementation is not expected before the end of the year.