Farmers and fishermen are hoping for a positive future following the UK's decision to leave the European Union - provided the government do their bit.

Roger Jenkin, a dairy farmer near Manaccan and deputy chairman of the Cornwall NFU, said that the main concern was over continuing subsidies, but the decision could have benefits to the industry.

"I believe it will make agriculture more relevant in this country than it has been for a long time. Imports and exports aren't going to be quite as easy as they have been and people will want a guaranteed source of food from home shores," he said.

Mr Jenkin said on a personal level he was happy because he voted to leave, but added: "As far as the industry is concerned, I think the beef sector and cereal sector will be worried that the subsidies won't carry on and the same with dairy farmers as well.

"I think the subsidies will be reinstated by the government. From what I gather the amount we've been getting back from Europe is a lot less than we've been paying in. There should be surplus to play with."

He added that the agricultural industry currently received £3 billion a year.

Before the referendum George Eustice, MP for Camborne and Redruth and Minister of State for Farming, Food and the Marine Environment, who has lead responsibility for the Rural Payments Agency, stated that subsidies could continue to be funded "without a shadow of a doubt", and Mr Jenkin said it was important that the government followed this through.

"As far as dairy farming is concerned, we need them to pay the bills. We're producing milk for 8p less than the cost of production.

"I would like to see a scheme where if the market price is below the cost of production we get a subsidy, but if it's above we don't get paid any. I think that's a fair way to do it. At the moment we're getting paid well below the cost of production."

Of farmers he spoke to before the vote, roughly half were in favour of leaving and half of remaining.

Mr Jenkin said NFU would be meeting with MPs to thrash out a good deal for the agricultural industry.

Meanwhile David Muirhead, chairman of the Cornwall Fisheries Committee, said: "At the present time it is difficult to ascertain what will happen in the future. It is unlikely that much will change during the next two years. We will remain under the control of the Common Fisheries policy.

"The major issues are fish quotas and the discard ban. The fish quotas were divided up amongst the nation states when we joined the EU. France has the lion’s share of the quotas where English boats work in the English channel, Bristol channel and Celtic sea; for example in these areas France has 66 per cent of the haddock quota and 70 per cent of the cod quota. The UK has a miserly ten per cent of the haddock and 7.5 per cent of the cod. It is therefore very important that we renegotiate the quota shares.

"At present our local, under ten metre fleet are only permitted to catch and sell fish for which they have quota. For example the haddock quota for our local boats is 50 kilos per month. They are likely to catch this within the first few days of the month. For the rest of the month the haddock has to be thrown back into the sea, a total waste of a potentially valuable product.

"Basically the Common Fisheries policy is not fit for purpose. Over the next few years a discard ban will be brought into force preventing fishermen from discarding fish for which they have no quota. These are known as choak species. As soon as a boat has caught its monthly quota for one of the choak species it will have to stop fishing for the rest of the month, potentially a disaster for our local boats fishing for white fish such as haddock, cod, pollack and whiting.

"If the quota system continues in its present form fish quotas must be in line with the amount of fish that are on the fishing grounds. The science will have to be right."