The governing council of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) in England and Wales has agreed a resolution on the upcoming EU membership referendum stating that the interests of farmers are best served by remaining in the EU.

The NFU council met earlier this week following 28 meetings across the country over the past fortnight in which the findings of two NFU-commissioned reports on the effects of Brexit on agriculture were presented to members.

Despite their final position favouring a vote to remain in the EU, the statement recognised that there is a wide range of views, and emphasised that the position was based solely on the agricultural merits of the case. The NFU will not campaign on the referendum and will not advise its 55,000 members on how to vote.

It is similar to the stance adopted by the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) in February.

Meanwhile, in a letter to the Country Land and Business Association last week, British Prime Minister David Cameron said that, in the event of the UK leaving the EU, farm support payments would be properly maintained as long as he was in charge. However, he added: “I can obviously not make the same guarantees for future governments.”