A closer relationship with the EU is in the pipeline, the farming minister has told the poultry industry, as he praised the industry’s contribution to the UK food system. “You make an important contribution to the nation’s food security, economic growth, healthy diets, and the resilience of our food system,” he said, speaking at the 59th Egg and Poultry Industry Conference (EPIC) on 2 November. Turning to international trade, the minister said the EU remained the UK’s largest trading partner and that negotiations on a new sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement would continue ahead of the UK-EU summit on 20…