With the referendum on Britain’s EU membership just six weeks away, the government has again warned that an exit from the EU could spell trouble for Britain’s food and drink exporters.

Defra secretary Liz Truss is backing Prime Minister David Cameron’s pro-EU position ahead of the vote, though farming minister George Eustice is supporting the leave campaign.

Following an appeal made whilst on a visit to the West Country two weeks ago, when the Defra secretary said leaving the EU could carry huge financial impacts for cheese makers from extra export duties and labelling costs, on Monday Truss said £1 billion worth of Scotch whisky exports could be at risk if Britain left the union. Truss made the claim before meeting with distillers at a roundtable meeting in East Lothian.

She said that the £5bn Scottish whiskey industry, which supports 40,000 jobs would probably face bureaucratic barriers when trading with Europe, incurring extra costs labelling, certification and licensing, should Britons vote to leave the EU next month. Truss said remaining part of the EU makes overseas trade far easier for highly regulated industries such as alcohol, and added that British whisky exporters have benefitted from deals brokered by the Union, including trade deals with countries such as South Africa, where exports have increased by over 150% since 2004.

Ahead of the roundtable meeting, she commented,  “We should all raise a toast to our biggest export success. Europe has a taste for Scotch and the industry will do better if we remain in the EU because whisky producers have hassle free, easy access to the Single Market of 500 million people. I want the industry to continue to be the powerhouse it has become across the world – boosting our economy and creating jobs. The Scotch whisky industry has strong global trade links beyond Europe in America and Asia, and their business leaders are clear that the EU single market provides the best conditions to reach even greater heights.”

“Leaving the EU would be a leap in the dark for our great British food and drink industry and could lead to years of negotiations on new trade deals – with no guarantees at the end. Our thriving Scotch industry and the wealth it brings to us all through jobs and investment will be stronger, safer and better off within a reformed EU.”

With just a few weeks left before the EU referendum, it looks like there could be a tight finish. Results from an Opinium/Observer poll conducted at the end of April showed gains in support for the remain campaign, though the margin of support was still incredibly narrow. In a poll of members of the farming community conducted by Farming Online in April, 51% of respondents said they would prefer to leave the EU, with 37% supporting the remain campaign, though a separate poll of NFU members conducted by the union in the Spring showed majority support for the remain campaign.

Farming Online will be running a second monthly poll, to gauge any changes in views as the referendum draws closer. this poll will appear on the Farming Online homepage later this week.