Lamb Exports to the US Welcome - But Paving Over Cracks Says David Chadwick

Commenting on the news that Welsh lamb has been exported to the US for the first time in 20 years, Welsh Liberal Democrat candidate for Brecon and Radnorshire David Chadwick said:

"While we welcome more export opportunities for the producers of Powys, Liz Truss and the Conservatives are trying to distract from the damage they have already done to the Welsh farming sector. 

"They are taking local farmers for granted, signing cheap trade deals with Australia and New Zealand that open our markets to foreign imports for very little in return. Liz Truss ploughed on with those deals despite concerns from Welsh farmers about those imports being produced to standards that would be illegal in the UK.

"In particular, tariff-free access by New Zealand poses a direct threat to the survival of the Welsh lamb industry and the communities it supports, including Welsh-language communities. 

"If Liz Truss was supportive of such poor trade deals already, it does beg the question: how much more damage will she do to the agricultural community? It's no secret that the Conservatives are pursuing revised trading agreements with the likes of the U.S, Argentina and Brazil. 

"This is of course on top of the extra red tape, costs and general uncertainty being imposed on farmers as a result of the Conservatives' flawed Brexit deal. 

"The Conservatives must stop taking rural communities and farmers for granted. They should fix the flaws in their policies and ensure future trade deals don't further harm our farmers' businesses".