One of a series of international events addressing the future of the farming industry took place in South East Cornwall - with organisers saying the meeting was ‘very positive’.

Delegates, from as far as Chile, Spain and France, discussed ways in which the industry can cope with the uncertainties facing agriculture - with Brexit top of the agenda.

The workshop took place at the Eliot House Hotel in Liskeard on Tuesday, just days after the announcement that the last Liskeard market will take place in December.

The workshop was run by Dr Jorge Hernandez from the University of Liverpool, Professor Lynne Butel from the University of Plymouth and Liskeard farmer James Moon from the livestock marketing cooperative CQLP.

It’s one of a series of international events taking place across Europe and in South America with invited representatives from farming and related industries.

Mr Moon said: ‘It was a very positive meeting and all the local delegates gained quite a lot from it.

‘It’s a small part of an overarching European project tackling risk and uncertainty.’

He said crucial topics within the Brexit debate were currency issues and, most of all, trade flowing as freely as possible across borders - concerns shared by delegates from beyond Europe.

‘I think we’re all looking forward to settling down and knowing what the trading conditions will be because we do need that free flow of trade across all borders, those within the EU and those outside the EU.

He said the workshops were also important in making sure business relationships that had been ‘built up over years’ were maintained after Brexit.

‘Trust is so important to us,’ he said.

He hopes CQLP will continue to be involved in the series of events as they continue across the globe.

The discussions involved in gathering data are proving of practical help, said Prof Butel.

‘For example,’ she said, ‘we’re looking at how information is shared within the industry, from different aspects such as seed producers all the way to households.

‘If you look at finance, the cost of borrowing is crucial in terms of cashflow and investment and that’s something that is less likely to be affected by Brexit if national governments can make decisions on loans for farmers now while interest rates are low.’

The four-year project will culminate in a substantial report on risk and uncertainty in the agricultural industry.