UK farmers won't lower standards post-Brexit, says new NFU head

Minette Batters, the National Farmers' Union's new president, says good quality, safe food is 'a public right' and staying part of a customs union is vital

British farmers will not accept lower welfare and hygiene standards under any post-Brexit trade deals, and will fight to remain as part of a customs union, the new president of the National Farmers' Union (NFU) has pledged.

Minette Batters, the first woman to head the powerful farmers' lobby since its foundation 110 years ago, set out a vision of farming as a unifying force across the UK, providing high-quality but low-cost food to consumers on a tight budget while safeguarding the environment and providing one in eight of the UK's jobs.