Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs – in the Senedd at 1:41 pm on 14 October 2020.
Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. Tomorrow, Minister, of course, is the deadline set by Boris Johnson to come to an agreement with the EU on a post-Brexit trade deal, after which, he says, the UK is ready and willing to walk away, leaving us with 'no deal' chaos and realising the worst nightmares, of course, of the agricultural industry here in Wales. And we all know the figures: 82 per cent of beef exports from the UK go into Europe; 78 per cent of dairy produce exports; and 90 per cent of lamb exports currently going in to the EU. Now, a London School of Economics report has found that, even with a free trade agreement by the end of this year, food trade between the UK and the EU will be slashed, driven primarily by non-tariff barriers. So, can you outline to us what contingencies the Welsh Government is putting in place to mitigate the devastating 'no deal' damage that's looming and, specifically, the steps that you're looking to take in relation to the beef, the dairy and sheep sectors in Wales?