A briefing at the Bath and West Showground near Shepton Mallet has heard how organic producers in Somerset could be "decimated" in the event of a no-deal Brexit due to rules about how such food is certified.

At present, UK organic farmers can export their produce to the European Union provided they meet certain standards.

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal on October 31, EU-certified organic food will still be able to come to Britain until 2021.

But British farmers will not be able to export to the EU in the same way – meaning they will face a smaller market for their goods and harsher competition at home.

The government has said it is working to ensure UK organic standards remain recognised by the EU going forward.

Rupert Cox, chief executive of the Bath and West Society, was outspoken on the issue at the Brexit briefing event held near Shepton Mallet on Wednesday afternoon (October 23).

He said: "We will decimate the organic food industry if we do not crack this.

"There is still a huge chance that we could leave next week with no Agricultural Bill.

"There are crops going into the ground with farmers who have their fingers crossed."

Ananda Guha, the deputy director for exports and EU exit within Defra, replied: "The government will match the level of common agricultural policy payments – that is guaranteed until 2022."

Speaking after the event concluded, Mr Cox said leaving without a deal would put Somerset producers at a great disadvantage.

He said: "The impact of a no deal is that it is unlikely that any organic producer will be able to export anything from the day we leave probably for seven or eight months, because it will take that amount of time for the EU and UK governments to understand what the implications are.

"Worse than that, during that period of hiatus, it seems that organic product from anywhere in the world will still come in, just because we recognise their organic standards, but now we've left the EU our standards are no longer recognised, and that seems unfair.

"All of a sudden you've got a sector of agriculture and food production that can't trade overseas while imports still come in – so they're bound to lose a lot of money because their market has shrunk and their local market is more competitive."

Mr Cox said "hundreds" of businesses could be impacted negatively by this change, citing the milk industry as an example.

He said: "In the milk sector there are a number of people producing organic liquid milk.

"They're having a tough time anyway, and if their product can't go overseas – either in a yoghurt or a cheese or an ice cream – they must be scratching their heads wondering where or how can they export their product now."

Prime Minister Boris Johnson MP managed to get his Brexit deal through its second reading in the House of Commons on Tuesday (October 22).

However, the bill was pulled after MPs rejected his programme of how the details of the deal would be further debated.

Discussions are currently ongoing between the UK and EU about a possible extension – which could mean the UK may not leave until mid-2020.

Mr Cox said: "I think in the context of farming and food, it's very clear that a lot of the detail won't actually be ironed out until a deal is agreed and we've left, or have got a date to leave.

"The deal at least does speed up the endgame, which is rumbling on at the moment.

"The level of uncertainty is now becoming quite desperate."

Government leaflets circulated at the event – held at the Bath and West Showground – advise organic farmers to ensure they are certified by an "approved control body" and to explore what other international markets would be open to them after Brexit.

A spokesman said: "The UK government is working with UK organic control bodies to gain recognition with the EU.

"We will ask organic control bodies to notify producers when this is achieved. Unless this is agreed before Brexit, people will not be able to export UK organically certified products to the EU, and they cannot use the EU organic logo on any EU organic food or feed.

"The UK will continue to recognise EU organics for a time-limited period (until January 1, 2021), and has proposed that no additional checks are required for EU organic food and feed."