British food sector leaders have asked the government for a transition period before aligning the UK’s post-Brexit agriculture rules with the EU. They warn that changing rules overnight would create a "cliff edge" costing UK businesses £500m to £810m a year. David Bench, chief executive of Croplife, said: "If we do not have a transition period, it would have very damaging consequences." The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) recently highlighted that British oats used in cereals and snacks might become unsellable in the EU. This is because UK farmers have used fungicides not yet approved by the EU for five years. The UK-EU reset aims to remove barriers that stopped thousands of UK businesses from exporting to the EU and to lower supermarket prices. A parliamentary trade select committee reported that extra Brexit-related red tape costs the UK £8.4bn, with trade in goods down 18% and food and drink trade down 24% over five years. Talks on a new sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement began last week, targeting reduction of Brexit paperwork. The NFU warned if the SPS deal takes effect in January 2027, crops grown in 2026 under current UK rules may become unsellable in the EU if still stored then. One transport chief described Brexit paperwork as "pure hell", with a frozen beef truck held up for 27 days in Calais due to missing certificates. According to a Croplife-commissioned report by The Andersons Centre, the UK kept similar legal, scientific, and technical standards to the EU initially. But pesticide approvals have diverged. The UK has allowed four new pesticides still under EU review. The industry is frustrated by the government's lack of engagement on this issue. Bench warned: "The impact of a ‘cliff-edge scenario’ on British growers could be devastating. At a time of increasing pressure on farm profitability, this could prove a tipping point for many farmers and growers." Croplife and the NFU want any rule changes phased in over at least a year, or longer, as was done with Brexit.