Food processors, retailers and politicians from Wales and beyond will gather at the Royal Welsh Showground on Thursday, November 8 to discuss how Brexit will impact the lamb, beef and pork industries, especially if there is no deal agreed with the EU.
The Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) Annual Conference will welcome key speakers who will talk about the vital issues surrounding exports to Europe and what plans can be put in place if trade is disrupted in March 2019.
The latest annual figures show that over a third of Wales’ lamb production and significant quantities of beef are exported as part of a trade worth almost £200 million a year. Over 90% of these exports are destined for the 27 nations of the EU and many jobs in Wales depend on them.
A no-deal Brexit is likely to lead to WTO Tariffs of well over 40% on red meat exports.
Addressing the HCC Conference will be Lesley Griffiths AM, Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs, as well as international trade specialist Professor Brian Revell, who will outline the prospects for UK food and farming in a global post-Brexit marketplace, and HCC chairman Kevin Roberts.
Farmers and other attendees will also have a chance to discuss Brexit’s potential impact on their industry with an expert panel.
Professor Revell will be joined by Tim Render (Welsh Government’s Director of Environment and Rural Affairs) and HCC Chief Executive Gwyn Howells, with the debate to be led by ITV Wales Brexit correspondent Carole Green.
HCC chairman Kevin Roberts said: “As the negotiations have progressed, I’ve said on many occasions that the greatest risk for our industry – particularly the sheep sector – is a no-deal Brexit, where WTO-level Tariffs would certainly mean losing vital export markets. The HCC Conference will offer a chance for farmers and processors to discuss frankly and openly what our industry can do to prepare for various scenarios,” he added, “so I’m pleased that we have an expert panel, chaired by ITV Brexit specialist Carole Green, to bring clarity and foresight to the discussion.”
The HCC Conference is the main annual gathering of Wales’s £680 million red meat industry and is free to attend. It will be held at the Members’ Centre at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells, with registration from 2.30pm, a chance to ask questions of the HCC Board at 3.15, and the formal presentations starting at 4pm.
The conference will also feature a presentation from environmental scientist Prysor Williams on the ‘green’ credentials of Welsh red meat, and from Grant Cochrane of leading food traceability specialists Oritain Global.