Australian trade talks raises questions says leading agricultural firm
Scott Donaldson, Harrison & Hetherington
A leading agricultural firm says the Government’s discussions with Australia over zero-tariff free trade deals raises questions about its views on the future of farming in the UK.
Following Brexit, the Government is keen to strike trade deals with other countries but there are concerns that such a deal with Australia would undermine the high standards of production, welfare and provenance that British farmers are governed by.
Scott Donaldson, managing director of Harrison & Hetherington, said: “The potential Australian trade deal raises many questions about the Government’s view of the future of farming in the UK, and more specifically livestock production.
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Prince Charles has urged small family farmers across the world to come together in a global cooperative and to find strength in numbers to deal with future upheavals in the agriculture industry.
The royal, 72, called for the plight of farmers to be at the centre of environmental action as the industry undergoes a massive transition .
His comments came amid claims the UK s post-Brexit trade deal with Australia, which would open up British markets to farmers Down Under, would make it all but impossible for family farms to compete with vast volumes of imports from overseas.
In a piece penned for the Guardian, the Prince of Wales said family farms needed to be a key part in any fair, inclusive, equitable and just transition to a sustainable future , noting that more than 100,000 family farms had been lost in the last 30 years.