Food and Drink Action Plan

Part of 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs – in the Senedd at 2:16 pm on 13 June 2018.

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Photo of Lesley Griffiths Lesley Griffiths Labour 2:16, 13 June 2018

Thank you. Well, part of the work we've been doing with the sector over the past two years is preparing them for a future post Brexit, and horticulture is one area where I think we can make great strides. So, when we go out to consultation at the beginning of July, this is an area that will form part of the consultation. You make a very important point about fruit and veg sitting on portsides and airport sides, and we are very concerned about that, along with seafood. Our meat shelf life is very important, so we need to do a piece of work around shelf life too, to make sure that the sector can compete with other countries that do have a longer shelf life for their food produce.

You mentioned that this is a public health issue. We clearly accept that food is already recognised as that. We don't want to see unhealthy diets. So, it's an area where I think we can make great strides. As you say, our farmers can grow fruit and veg, and I've certainly not heard people say to me that Wales isn't able to do that.