Defra Secretary Theresa Villiers has proposed a ban on live exports of farm animals, stating that livestock should only be slaughtered at their most local abattoir.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has also personally signalled his preparedness to ban live exports.

He said that after Brexit, the UK will be able to say it is “no longer possible to take live animals in great distress and confusion [for] very long distances.”

But the National Sheep Association (NSA) has already criticised the plan, saying that it 'exposes a serious lack of knowledge' of how the industry works.

Echoing that sentiment, the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) said the move would 'undervalue the importance' of live exports to the Northern Irish farming industry.