Written by Rachel Martin
NFU Cymru president John Davies will write to the new Prime Minister this week to underline the ‘serious threat’ a ‘No-deal’ Brexit could pose to the Welsh farming sector.
With the new occupant of 10 Downing Street due to be appointed tomorrow (July 24), the third day of the Royal Welsh Show, Davies will write to the new PM to outline how vital the EU export market is to the Welsh agricultural industry.
He will also impress that animal welfare and environmental standards should be recognised and valued, and ask that the new Prime Minister ensures Welsh agriculture does not lose out on funding as a result of Brexit.
Writing to Number 10
Speaking at the show, Davies explained the letter would demonstrate how Welsh agriculture is particularly exposed to the effects of leaving the EU without a deal.
“We face the challenge of breaking away from almost half a century of participation in the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy, alongside the opportunity of designing and implementing a bespoke policy for Welsh farming,” he said.
“It also means founding completely new trading relationships with the EU27 and the rest of the world.
“The EU27 is our nearest and most valuable export market, a market that we currently enjoy frictionless, tariff-free access to the 500 million or so consumers on our doorstep.
Around 72% of Welsh food and drink exports are destined for EU countries, and in the case of our iconic PGI Welsh lamb, the figure is even higher, with 95% of what we export going to the EU.
“If we were to leave without a deal, then we know that the high tariffs on our exports into this market would mean that we would simply be unable to compete.
“At the same time we know, following the publication of the UK Government’s ‘No-deal’ tariff schedules back in the spring, that most agricultural products would enter the UK from the EU and the rest of the world with zero or reduced tariffs.
“A ‘No-deal’ Brexit would, therefore, mean the double blow of not only being priced out of our principal export markets but also having agri-food products coming into the UK from third countries and outcompeting domestic producers.”
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