A NEW report has highlighted the importance of the Government's future trade deals with the EU and rest of the world to determine the future of UK farming and food production.

The National Farmers Union (NFU) 'British Farming: Setting the Standard' report gives examples of British farmers’ high standards in areas such as traceability, animal welfare, plant health and the environment.

The report states that future trade should celebrate and promote the UK's high standards, rather than undermine them.

NFU president, Minette Batters, called for the maintaining of high food standards "otherwise British farmers will be competing against imported food produced in ways that would be illegal in this country."

Ms Batters added: "British farming can be one of the leading lights of post-Brexit Britain if the Government provides certainty and confidence and chooses to become a global leader in championing the sustainable, climate-friendly food that our farmers produce here."

Championing farming values forms a key topic of the report including the importance of the UK's high-standard food production.

"If high-standard food production does not take place here, we will have to look elsewhere to meet our requirements for food to feed a growing population," the report says.

"Allowing such products into the UK to displace environmentally sustainable domestic food production essentially offshores and increases the environmental footprint of the food we consume."

A survey conducted by the NFU found that 89 per cent of the public feel farming is fairly or very important to the UK economy, a four per cent increase since 2019.

The survey also found 86 per cent agreed that British farms should grow as much food as they can to provide national food security.

There was a six per cent increase in the public's view of UK farmers in June 2020 as 75 per cent had a favourable view of UK farmers compared to 69 per cent in 2019.

And in line with calls from the NFU and other industry bodies 77 per cent of respondents agreed that farmers should continue to receive financial support post Brexit, a four per cent increase since 2019.