Rural affairs ministers from Scotland and Northern Ireland have written to the UK Government with concerns about the Australia trade deal.
The letter to Liz Truss says: “We have previously stressed to you, and remain extremely concerned following the recent announcement, that the UK Government is signing up to a deal that would lead to a sustained increase in imports of Australian agri-food and produced to lesser standards in relation to animal welfare and future environmental commitments.
“As you know, agriculture and food standards are devolved responsibilities. We have been clear that where there is an increase in imports of Australian agri-food, this must be managed by tariff rate quotas that are not eroded over time. We are also concerned by the size of the quotas which after 15 years equate to 16% of UK beef consumption and 49% of UK sheepmeat consumption.