Only 3 weeks left before Britain should leave the world's largest trading block. This is a big suspense, causing headaches on farms across Spain, the largest British supplier of fruits and vegetables.

Manufacturers and exporters will need to prepare documents for submission at borders to facilitate the passage of trucks and prevent delays that can turn perishable goods into rubbish.

Almost a third of Spain’s production of Onubafruit, mainly strawberries, raspberries and blueberries, is exported to the UK, where products are delivered to supermarket groups such as Tesco and No 2 Sainsbury's.

Spain is the only EU country to grow bananas on its land. Only on Madera Island, owned by Portugal, does a small number of banana plants grow.

Both manufacturers and supermarkets fear that overnight a change in the status of Britain from an EU member to the default conditions of the World Trade Organization (WTO) could lead to huge queues in French ports with delays and millions of euro losses.

“Our peak season is starting now. We don’t know exactly what kind of documentation we will need until we know which Brexit will be, ”said Colomina, head of Coexphal, an association representing more than 9,000 farmers in Almeria, in southern Spain, who ship dozens of trucks daily to the UK, loaded with different products, from broccoli to watermelons.

• In the UK, farmers called on the future prime minister to provide a “reasonable” transition agreement with the EU.
• According to the leading British agricultural cooperative Fram Farmers from Suffolk, Brexit could lead to an increase in their costs.
• The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) has called on the government and the EU Commission to compensate farmers for losses from Brexit.
• According to an analysis by the Irish Cattle and Sheep Breeders Association (ICSA), beef producers lose a lot of money on cattle compared to the period before Brexit.
• UK farmers believe that investment in science should continue after Brexit.