Govt warned to protect British farmers in UK-Gulf trade deal
17th June 2025
NFU has issued a letter to prime minister Keir Starmer calling on the government to protect British farmers while negotiating the trade deal with GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council).
The GCC currently imports approximately 85% of its food requirements. This presents opportunities for British farmers, particularly for products such as dairy, lamb and oats. However, there have been reports that the deal could include uncapped access to the UK’s poultry market for chicken meat.
While reports state this would only happen if imports met UK hygiene standards, this rule would not extend to animal welfare standards, which fall well short of those expected in the UK poultry sector.
Speaking at the NFU’s conference in 2023, prime minister Starmer made a commitment to protect Britain’s high production standards. More recently, the DEFRA secretary of state set out in the government’s New Deal for Farmers that it will “protect farmers from being undercut by low welfare and low standards in trade deals”. The NFU is urging the government to continue to stand by this pledge.
Need for ‘balanced’ approach
NFU president Tom Bradshaw explained that balanced and mutually beneficial trade deals can provide a real economic boost, including for farm businesses.
“A modern trade deal with the GCC, if fair and balanced, could offer huge potential for agricultural exporters. But, as always, this balance depends on the government upholding its commitments to not allow greater market access for food imports which have been produced in ways that are illegal here.
“This would undermine Britain’s reputation for high animal welfare standards that our producers deliver and consumers value and rightly expect.
“Our poultry sector produces to some of the highest standards in the world. This is vastly different to the GCC trading bloc, which only seems to have basic welfare provisions, which fall well short of the robust species-specific legislation in place in the UK.
“It’s vital the government takes the same balanced approach it took with the recent India and US trade agreements. This is the next test to see if the government will stand strong and protect the standards our country demands and values.”
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