| News
FUW meets with
United States
Department of
Agriculture
Farmers’ Union of Wales officials
recently met with the United States
Department of Agriculture to discuss
the future of the Welsh agricultural
industry.
elcoming the United States
Department of Agriculture
representatives Stan Phillips,
Counselor for Agricultural
Affairs and Steve Knight,
Agricultural Specialist, were
FUW President Glyn Roberts, the Union’s
Managing Director Alan Davies and Senior
Policy Officer Hazel Wright.
“We welcomed the opportunity to provide an
insight into Wales’ current political, economic
and social situation and share information on
the Welsh farming sectors, its geography and
the current incomes and exports arrangements
with the US Department of Agriculture,” said
Glyn Roberts following the meeting.
“Sharing experiences and information with
our US colleagues is vital in the process of
establishing an export market for our Welsh
W
06 | Farming Monthly | May 2016
Lamb and Beef,” he added.
The FUW was keen to use the opportunity to
promote the high quality of Welsh agricultural
produce and the high environmental and
welfare standards that producers adhere to.
“We highlighted the strong export
relationship we have with the European market
today by explaining that the market for Welsh
red meat in Europe is worth close to £200
million a year and accounts for 90% of Welsh
agricultural exports.
“In 2014, export figures show that
approximately 35% of sheep meat produced in
Wales was exported to the European Union
with 93% of Welsh lamb exports, 93% of Welsh
beef exports and 98% of dairy exports destined
for EU countries,” said Mr Roberts .
Given the ongoing Transatlantic Trade
Investment Partnership developments between
the EU and the US, the FUW was also keen to
discuss the use of equivalencies in regulation,
the protection of PGI Welsh lamb and the move
towards better and more accurate food
labelling.
“We highlighted the strong export
relationship we have with the European
market today”
“The FUW was pleased to hear that
significant progress has been made on Welsh
beef and lambs exports into the US and we will
be interested to see how this market develops
in the future”, added Mr Roberts.
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