“No doubt NZ and Australia will be aiming for the best deal possible for their agricultural sectors after Brexit but it’s important that agreements are based on what’s fair for farmers in Wales,” he said during a House of Commons select committee session on possible future trade deals between the United Kingdom and both NZ and Australia.
“Although NZ lamb has a very high tariff rate quota of 228,000 tonnes (into the European Union) at the moment, negotiations on what the UK share of this should be after Brexit should not be based on historic entitlements but rather on how much lamb has actually been exported here in the past few years. That is around 65,000 tonnes.”
Roberts, who chairs Hybu Cig Cymru (Meat Promotion Wales) said trade between the UK and NZ and Australia had traditionally involved the two southern hemisphere countries exporting agricultural and other primary produce and importing British manufactured goods and services in return.
“It’s vital that Welsh farmers’ voices aren’t ignored in any rush to find new trade agreements after Brexit.
“Increased imports from the southern hemisphere risk undermining Welsh farmers, who have to adhere to extremely high environmental and welfare standards.
“Any future trade deal must take full account of the needs of the Welsh red meat sector.”
Roberts addressed the committee as an expert witness, called by the influential International Trade Committee of British MPs amid fears that post-Brexit trade agreements with NZ and Australia have the potential to harm the UK’s red meat industry unless safeguards are put in place and until there is clarity on the future trading relationship of Britain and the EU.
