Still debate over the impact of the Australia-UK free trade deal which is imminent

The free trade deal will remove taxes on virtually all Australian exports and imports from the UK.

New Zealand signed a free trade deal with the UK to begin this year as well.

The impending arrival of sheepmeat from Australia and New Zealand was debated at the Northern Ireland branch of the UK's National Sheep Association which held its annual meeting at Antrim, north-west of Belfast, last week.

The branch was warned about possible "aggressive" selling tactics from Australian and New Zealand exporters.

Former Quality Meat Scotland chief economist Stuart Ashworth told the branch 90 per cent of NZ sheepmeat and 60pc of Australian sheepmeat was exported.

"If the vast majority of your business is built on exports then you must be good at selling and getting access to markets," Mr Ashworth said.

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Agriculture Minister Murray Watt and National Farmers Federation president Fiona Simson flew to the UK last month to calm local producers.

"One of our messages is that there is no risk of Australian products flooding the UK market," Senator Watt said.

Ms Simson told local farmers they had nothing to fear as the trade mission urged the UK government to sign off on the deal.

But the Irish NSA branch's meeting a month later revealed continued unease.

The branch was told Australia's biggest sheepmeat customer was the USA while China took about half of NZ exports.

"If their exports go belly up for whatever reason they will be very aggressive at trying to find an alternative market," Mr Ashworth said.

While UK exporters have been repeatedly told the Australian trade deal would have little impact on home-grown product, the producers remain anxious about future trade deals post-Brexit.

"I am worried that the likes of Brazil or America are going to say 'you have given a free trade agreement to Australia and New Zealand and we went the same kind of deal'," Mr Ashworth said.

UK sheep producers have their own worries to maintain trade links to European Union customers.

The UK Government has recently extended discussions on a EU Animal Health Regulation which requires vets to sign off on livestock exports rather than a farmer declaration, as is currently the case.

The government had proposed every farm exporting meat products to the EU would need a vet conducted attestation of health status accompanying all animals to slaughter.

NSA chief executive Phil Stocker said the proposed change, from a farmer declaration to a veterinary attestation, was needed to be fully compliant with the EU regulations.

"However, farmers, the supply chain, and veterinary surgeons were not in a place to be able to deliver this with such short notice," he said.

The government has now delayed the compliance date to the end of this year.

UK farmers rely heavily on EU access - 72 per cent of all meat exports and 96 per cent of all sheep meat exports go to the EU.