PRIME Minister Theresa May will visit the Royal Welsh Show today where she will hear calls for Welsh farmers to have continued access to the European market.
The Conservative PM is expected to say Brexit can provide an opportunity to create a farming sector "fit for the future" at the event at Llanelwedd near Builth Wells.
She will meet farming unions and rural organisations with concern high in the industry at whether Welsh farmers, who rely on exports to the European Union, will still be able to trade freely after Britain’s withdrawal. She is due to tell them she is committed to maintaining current funding levels until the end of this Parliament to ensure farmers have the certainty they need to plan for their business. Ahead of the visit Mrs May said:"Leaving the EU presents us with a unique opportunity to transform our food, farming and environmental policies so we can have a healthy and prosperous agricultural industry that is fit for the future, and helps us to leave the environment in a better place than we found it.“I commend our hard working farmers up and down the country, and here in Wales, who deserve better than the fundamentally flawed CAP system. That is why I want to hear from them today about what they need so we deliver a farming policy which supports the whole industry.“And while our proposals are for England only, I look forward to working with the Farming unions, Welsh Government and stakeholders to best serve our farmers here as they develop a scheme specific to Wales.”
Her environment secretary Michael Gove visited the show earlier in the week and farming unions gave a cautious welcome to him stating he believed it is "overwhelmingly likely" the industry will have tariff free trade access to EU markets post-Brexit.
The NFU Cymru stressed "greater clarity" is needed around the make-up of trade negotiations before Welsh farmers "can truly step forward with confidence in making decisions that will affect their businesses in the future".
NFU Cymru President John Davies said: “We cautiously welcome the comments made from Mr Gove and his optimism around future trading relationships with the EU. However, Welsh farmers will be waiting anxiously for more concrete assurances and clarity on these statements before pushing on with decisions that will influence the future direction of their businesses.
"Our meeting provided us with the opportunity to stress that farmers in Wales have a real hunger and desire to be the best in the world and they are up for this challenge provided they are given the right conditions to prosper in the future. If Mr Gove’s positive comments at the Royal Welsh Show come to fruition that gives the industry a good platform to drive on and succeed."