RHUN ap Iorwerth, MS for Ynys Môn, has sought assurances from the Welsh Government about the health of Welsh agriculture following the post-Brexit UK-Australia trade deal.

Amid concerns from farmers and unions that the new deal seems to favour their Australian competitors, Mr ap Iorwerth has called on the Welsh Government to take measures to try to protect the state of the country’s agriculture.

This comes ahead of a visit to Anglesey by Australia’s High Commissioner this week.

Addressing the Senedd, and particularly Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales Lesley Griffiths, Mr ap Iorwerth said: “Farmers tell me regularly that they are concerned about this.

“The agricultural unions say that they have difficulty finding anything in the trade agreement that could help Welsh farmers, and that, indeed, more than anything, they see it as something that benefits those in Australia who would be in competition with Welsh farmers.”

Ms Griffiths said: “There is the Australian trade deal.

"There is the New Zealand trade deal.

“If we are not careful, we are going to have the cumulative impact of the trade deals, which could really badly affect our farming community here in Wales.”

“Obviously, an area that really concerns me is about standards.

“It's really important that we don't have our market flooded by imports from countries that don't have our very high animal health and welfare standards, and our very high environmental standards too.”

Rhun ap Iorwerth MS added: “It’s clear that the Australian trade deal will pose a very real threat to our farming industry on Ynys Môn in years to come.

“Our farmers have been hung out to dry by UK Government in seeking this quick post-Brexit deal.”

The National Farmer’s Union of England and Wales (NFU), who represent more than 46,000 farming and growing businesses and champion British agriculture, warned of the trade deal: “There is little in this deal to benefit British farmers.

“We see almost nothing in the deal that will prevent an increase in imports of food produced well below the production standards required of UK farmers or in line with the expectations of the British public.”