Cumbria's farmers are looking at "a very strong future", but the industry could be put at risk if voters choose to leave the European Union, according to Environment Secretary Liz Truss.
Mrs Truss made the comments today (Monday) during a visit to South Cumbria amid concern that an EU exit could put the livelihoods of 10,000 sheep farmers nationwide in jeopardy.
40% of all the lamb and mutton produced in the UK went to the EU in 2014, bringing £290m to the industry.
Mrs Truss said: "There are two really big issues. One is the issue of regulation. Would we see less regulation if we left Europe? I don't think we would. I actually think we'd see more regulation because a lot of these farmers are exporting their products into Europe. So farmers would end up having to follow EU regulations as well as following UK regulations. So, it would be a regulation double-whammy."
Mrs Truss says that outside the EU, tariffs could add an extra £155million to the cost of lamb and mutton exports.
It's feared that in turn, that could make British lamb a less attractive prospect for Europeans, when compared to New Zealand and Australian competitors.
Mrs Truss continued: "If we left the EU, would countries like France carry on importing our lamb? We know what happened in the late 1990s with Beef. The French banned British beef from entering the French market and we had to go to the European Court of Justice to get that overturned.
"40% of the lamb we produce goes to the European market. At the moment we can't get our lamb into America and we can't get it into China. We're working very hard to get our lamb into those markets, but the EU is a fantastic market right on our doorstep.
"What being in a single market means, is that our farmers have free access to those markets and get a big income from them."
Mrs Truss also singled out Cumbria as a county that would benefit from continued EU membership, adding: "My view is, sheep farming is incredibly important for this part of the country. It's vital for tourism, and it's vital for the beautiful landscape.
"It's not just what they (sheep farmers) do for the landscape which is incredibly important here in the Lake District. It's also the contribution of the food, the local culture, and the local economy.
"Farm shops, local cafes and restaurants are growing very strongly and when people visit an area they also want experience the cuisine and the taste as well.
"That's an incredibly important asset for the Lake District."
Plumgarths owner John Geldard - and a former Chair of the National Sheep Association, added: “An exit would mean sleep walking in to the unknown, a totally unacceptable scenario. Many sheep farming and rural businesses are working on very thin margins with little spare capacity.
“To exit the EU with an accompanying four to five years of complete uncertainty would be reckless. To remain in the EU would ensure security and strengthen our current positioning.”
You can listen to our full interview with Liz Truss below, speaking to our reporter John Pye in Kendal, who began by telling us more about what she feels are the two biggest issues currently being faced by local farmers: