Conference to discuss impact of Brexit on food and farming
Food processors, retailers and politicians from Wales and beyond will gather in the Welsh town of Builth Wells on 8th November to discuss Brexit and how it will impact lamb, beef and pork industries.
HCC chair Kevin Roberts.
The Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) Annual Conference will welcome key speakers to tackle vital issues of European exports 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, in a trade worth almost £200 million a year, with over 90% of those exports destined for the 27 nations of the EU.
A ‘no-deal’ Brexit is said to likely lead to World Trade Organisation (WTO) tariffs of 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.
HCC chairman Kevin Roberts will also be attending.
Farmers and other attendees will have a chance to discuss Brexit’s potential impact on 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.
“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.
Further information about the day is available at www.meatpromotion.wales.
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