Farming

Aussie trade deal sells out Welsh farmers

Published

5 years ago

May 21, 2021

THE WESTMINSTER government’s wish to conclude a zero-tariff trade deal with Australia will put the future of Welsh livestock farming at risk.

That’s the unanimous view of Welsh farming organisations, who are aghast that allowing products produced to lower animal welfare standards will threaten the viability of Welsh farms and have disastrous consequences for our rural economy.

Earlier this week, The Financial Times exposed tensions in the Westminster Cabinet between DEFRA and the Department of International Trade.

Ready to sacrifice farming for free trade deal: International Trade Secretary Liz Truss

The article said that George Eustice, Secretary of State for Rural Affairs and Cabinet Office Secretary Michael Gove opposed International Trade Secretary Liz Truss’ wish to conclude a post-Brexit trade deal at any cost.

THE PROMISE AND THE THREAT

In addition to potentially undermining the UK’s farming industry, there are serious concerns that cheaply produced new food imports will pressure livestock farmers to intensify their practices to compete. This would harm animal welfare and environmental standards across the UK.

Previous Secretary of States for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Michael Gove MP and Theresa Villiers MP, and the current Secretary of State, George Eustice MP, have repeatedly asserted the Government’s firm commitment to maintaining the UK’s high food and environmental standards in any circumstance.#

Despite this, key amendments to both the Agriculture Bill and the Trade Bill, aimed at safeguarding British standards and protecting UK producers were repeatedly defeated by the Government in Parliament.

In fact, due to loopholes in the recently passed Trade Bill, the Government will now be able to approve the import of animal and agricultural products of a lower standard than currently permitted in the UK and make sweeping changes to existing food safety regulations without consultation.

WG FEARS IMPACT ON RURAL WALES

Welsh Government ministers’ responses to the International Trade Secretary’s position were condemnatory.

Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething said: “Farmers and food producers play a crucial role in our society, economy and environment.

New trade deals must protect Welsh farmers: Vaughan Gething

“We have been very clear with the UK Government that any new trade deals must not cause an un-level playing field, by giving food importers with lower standards an economic advantage in our market compared to our own producers.

Rural Affairs Minister Lesley Griffiths added: “We are extremely proud of the high food safety standards we have here in Wales, including standards around animal health and welfare, traceability, environment and food safety.

“No trade agreement should ever undermine that or our domestic legislation, and Welsh Government has consistently made this point to the UK Government.”

We followed up those remarks by asking what representations the Welsh Government made and when.

A spokesperson told us: “We have frequent contact with UK Government, through both the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department of International Trade at all stages of FTA negotiations. This includes weekly meetings on the Australian FTA.

“We are consistently clear in these meetings that new FTAs must not create an un-level playing field for our own producers.

Mark Drakeford: Raised concerns with Michael Gove on Wednesday

“The First Minister raised this issue with the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, Michael Gove MP on Wednesday afternoon (May 19).”

AUSSIE FREE TRADE DEAL WILL UNDERMINE STANDARDS

The same day, FUW President Glyn Roberts met with UK Trade Minister Greg Hands.

Speaking after the meeting, FUW President Glyn Roberts said: “Both the minister and I agreed wholeheartedly that we must seek new trade opportunities for UK agriculture and other industries.

“However, we made our concerns regarding the adverse impacts of a liberal deal with Australia very clear.”

Mr Roberts said that he and the Minister discussed a host of issues during the meeting, including the potential benefits for Welsh agriculture of the UK’s membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which the UK is currently seeking.

Ministers must realise the price of free trade: Glyn Roberts, FUW

“The reality is that a deal that liberalises access to the UK market for Australian beef and lamb means a lowering of standards and will have adverse consequences for UK farmers.

“While this may not be an immediate concern given current exports to the UK, we have to look at what might happen in the future. After all, if Australia didn’t believe they would increase food exports to the UK significantly at some point, they wouldn’t be fighting so hard to ensure it is in a trade agreement.”

Mr Roberts said The union had also highlighted the gulf between the standards required of farmers in Wales and the UK and the far lower standards required in Australia.

“The Queen’s speech has just reiterated UK Government plans to tighten up animal movement rules, and Wales looks set to follow suit.

“Our current maximum animal journey time is already eight hours, but it is forty-eight hours – six times higher in Australia. Other concerns include the significant differences between animal traceability requirements, given that what is allowed in Australia would be completely illegal here.”

“The political pressure on the Government to announce a trade deal should not override the UK government’s duty to negotiate a deal that upholds its own promises and our values by preventing food produced to lower standards from being sold in the UK – however long that negotiation takes, or even if it means walking away from negotiations,” Mr Roberts added.

DOGMA TRUMPING OUR NATIONAL INTEREST

TFA Cymru Chairman Dennis Matheson told The Herald: “The UK Government is at risk of allowing politics to trump our national interest in being over keen to get a trade agreement over the line without properly thinking through its consequences.

“There is no pretence that, from the perspective of the agricultural industry, trade deals with Australia and New Zealand would not have been at the top of our agenda. Clearly, both countries have got their sights set on ramping up exports of beef, sheep, and dairy to the UK.

“Welsh farmers stand to lose out considerably if this comes to fruition. That will be hugely damaging to the Welsh economy, tourism, and the environment. We must ensure we do not let in imports which fall below the environmental and animal welfare requirements imposed upon producers in Wales.”

19 farming bodies across various sectors and from all four nations of the UK have agreed on five principles of crucial importance to UK food and farming in the negotiations.

NFU Cymru President John Davies said: “We know that agriculture is almost always the last chapter to be finalised in any trade deal, and as these talks reach an advanced stage its important negotiators take on board the five detailed principles agreed.

“The government’s repeated commitments to safeguard our own standards and not undercut UK farmers through unfair competition are encouraging, and we support their ambition to liberalise trade.

“We know that if we’re to open up the opportunities of new markets overseas for UK farmers, we will have to offer greater access to our own markets in return. However, this trade-off needs to be balanced, and we need to make sure concessions to our hugely valuable home market are not given away lightly.”

WESTMINSTER RISKS ‘IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE’

John Davies continued: “There is a very real risk that, if we get it wrong, UK farming will suffer irreversible damage rather than flourish in the way we all desire, to the detriment of our environment, our food security and our rural communities.

“The British government faces a choice. It must recognise that zero-tariff trade on all imports of products such as beef and lamb means British farming, working to its current high standards, will struggle to compete.

“At a time when government has placed huge importance on its aim of levelling up, this would fundamentally undermine any ambition to narrow the rural-urban divide or to ensure all parts of the UK are included in the government’s desire to build back in the months ahead.”

Julie Barratt, President of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health said: “Despite repeated assurances from a string of Environment Secretaries, the mood music does not look good for UK food standards and animal welfare when it comes to this potential deal with Australia.

“Adopting a zero-tariff and zero-quota approach to food imports from Australia risks the UK market being flooded with cheaper produce and undercutting UK farmers, forcing our farmers to adopt lower standards just to be able to compete.

“There are also serious questions about how importing cheaper food from the other side of the world impacts on the UK’s food security or sustainability, or how it helps the Government meet its wider environmental pledges or commitment to achieving net-zero.

“We are calling on the UK Government to stick to its environmental commitments and to not undermine our high food standards in an attempt to get a trade deal over the line.”

Farming

Imported meat bill hits £5bn as Co-op calls for stronger backing for UK farmers

Published

17 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Tom Sinclair

RISING IMPORTS RAISE FOOD SECURITY CONCERNS

THE CO-OP has called for stronger government support for British farmers after new figures showed the UK’s imported meat bill rose to more than £5bn last year.

HMRC data obtained by the retailer shows the value of meat imported into the UK increased by 15 per cent year-on-year, from £4.33bn in 2024 to £5.06bn in 2025.

The Co-op said the figures raised fresh concerns about the resilience of Britain’s food system at a time of climate change, global conflict and disruption to international supply chains.

Poultry was the most imported protein, worth almost £2bn in 2025. Poland and the Netherlands accounted for the largest share, while poultry imports from Thailand rose by almost 50 per cent compared with the previous year.

The retailer, which says it sells and uses 100 per cent British meat and poultry, said the UK’s growing reliance on overseas supply chains left shoppers and farmers more exposed to global shocks.

It is now backing proposals from the Co-operative Party calling for agricultural co-operatives to be scaled up and better supported as part of the Government’s long-term farming plans.

The policy paper argues that farmer-owned co-operatives can help producers share costs, reduce risk, invest collectively and secure stronger bargaining power in the food supply chain.

There are currently estimated to be more than 500 agricultural co-operatives in the UK, generating income of more than £9bn.

Paul Gerrard, Director of Public Affairs and Campaigns at Co-op, said: “The issue of supply chain resilience is upon us now and there is a clear and demonstrable benefit to the co-operative business model in agriculture.

“An expansion of agricultural co-operation is both an economic opportunity and a political imperative: it directly addresses the need for a more secure and sustainable food system, one less exposed to the volatility of global markets and the instability in a rapidly changing world.”

Joe Fortune, Leader of the Co-operative Party, said co-operation was “a form of strategic resilience” and called on Government to help grow the sector.

The party’s proposals include clearer government guidance for farmers, stronger representation for co-operatives in policy-making, improved access to finance, support for producer organisations, and greater use of public procurement to back British farming.

Farming

Badger Trust urges next Welsh Government to keep non-lethal TB policy

Published

5 days ago

April 30, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Charity says Wales should continue science-led approach as bovine TB cases fall

BADGER Trust has called on the next Welsh Government to maintain a science-led and non-lethal approach to tackling bovine tuberculosis.

The charity says Wales should continue to focus on cattle testing, farm biosecurity and support for farmers, rather than wildlife intervention.

According to Badger Trust, bovine TB cases in Wales had fallen by 13.6% by the end of 2025, without any wildlife culling. It said this compared with a 5% fall in England over the same period.

The charity said 5.3% of cattle herds in Wales were not officially TB-free at the end of 2025, down 0.4 percentage points on the previous year. It said 567 new herd incidents were recorded during the year, alongside a 27% reduction in early cattle slaughter.

Badger Trust said bovine TB remains a serious threat to cattle health, but argued that the best response is a cattle-focused policy, including more frequent and enhanced testing, improved farm hygiene, and non-slaughter options for cattle testing positive.

The charity said: “The premature culling of cattle due to a failed bovine TB test is outdated and unnecessary. Instead, strict segregation is an effective alternative.

“The main focus must be on eliminating the reservoir of bovine TB in the national herd in preparation for cattle vaccination.”

Badger Trust also argued that bovine TB can remain dormant in cattle and in the environment for long periods before being detected, which can lead to mistaken assumptions that infection has entered a closed herd from wildlife.

It said the disease can also be spread through contaminated vehicles, workwear, manure and slurry if proper biosecurity measures are not followed.

The charity added: “Focusing on badgers distracts from the real issue, as DNA testing shows that 94-95% of bovine TB infections are transmitted directly between cattle.

“The only effective way to combat bovine TB is to address it at its source: within the cattle population.”

Badger Trust is urging the next Welsh Government to “hold its nerve” and continue with a science-led, evidence-based, non-lethal policy.

Nigel Palmer, Chief Executive of Badger Trust, said the charity wanted Wales to continue “leading by example” in its approach to tackling the disease.

Badger Trust says it welcomes the end of intensive badger culling licences in England in 2026, but remains opposed to presenting badger vaccination as the main solution to bovine TB. It argues that improved cattle testing and stronger farm biosecurity offer a more effective and humane way forward.

The charity also warned that badgers face a separate threat from changes linked to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which it says could weaken protections for badger setts in development areas.

Badger Trust is the leading voice for badgers in England and Wales and works through a network of local badger groups. Its Badgers Belong Here campaign promotes badger protection and public education.

Farming

FUW warns food security must be treated as national security

Published

6 days ago

April 30, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Union says rising fuel and fertiliser costs are putting pressure on farmers and food supply chains

THE FARMERS’ Union of Wales has warned that food security must be treated as a UK-wide priority as global instability continues to drive up costs for farmers.

FUW President Ian Rickman and Deputy President Dai Miles met Defra Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs Dame Angela Eagle MP in Westminster to discuss the impact of international events on farming, production costs and the resilience of food supplies.

They were also joined by Wales Office Minister Anna McMorrin MP.

The union said the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and Gulf region had added significant pressure to key agricultural inputs and energy costs.

According to the FUW, fertiliser prices, particularly urea and ammonium nitrate, have risen by between 20% and 30% since the escalation of the conflict.

The union is calling for greater transparency around fertiliser stocks and distribution across the UK.

Fuel costs have also risen sharply, with the FUW saying red diesel has effectively doubled in price in some cases. Wider agricultural fuel and energy costs are continuing to rise across the sector, placing further pressure on farm businesses already operating on tight margins.

The union warned that these cost increases are feeding through the entire food supply chain, affecting production, transport, processing and manufacturing, and are likely to contribute further to food price inflation.

The FUW repeated its call for a UK-wide legislative food security metric, which it says should be taken forward by the next Welsh Government in collaboration with the UK Government.

It said food security is a cross-UK issue, affecting all four nations because of the closely integrated nature of agri-food supply chains.

The union also pointed to recent government evidence, including Defra’s 2024 Food Security Report and its 2025 national security assessment on biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse.

It said these highlighted long-term risks to food production, including climate change, nature decline, animal and plant disease, supply chain disruption and exposure to volatile global markets.

FUW President Ian Rickman said: “We welcomed the opportunity to meet Minister Eagle and Minister McMorrin, and highlight the continued impact of recent global instability on Welsh farmers.

“Food security is national security, and recent global instability has made that clearer than ever.

“Farmers are facing surging cost pressures, particularly from fertilisers and sharply rising fuel costs such as red diesel, which in some cases have doubled.

“These are forces far beyond their control, yet they directly threaten the resilience of our food system.

“We urgently need a coordinated UK-wide approach that recognises the strategic importance of domestic food production and reduces our exposure to volatile international markets.

“With that must come regular and meaningful engagement between Defra and agricultural stakeholders across the UK, including the FUW, particularly on policy areas that remain reserved to the UK Government.”