THE newly appointed board of directors of Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales has met for the first time at the board’s headquarters in Aberystwyth.

The board resolved to develop plans for a post-Brexit future for Welsh red meat.

Following a public appointment process led by the Welsh Government, 10 new directors with a wide experience in agriculture, processing, food marketing and retail have been appointed.

The board will be chaired on an interim basis by Kevin Roberts, a former director general at both the NFU and the Meat and Livestock Commission, until a permanent chair is appointed in the summer.

“Our red meat industry, based Welsh lamb and Welsh beef which are known all over the world, is facing a period of unprecedented change,” said Mr Roberts. “Brexit, as well as fierce competition and changing consumer demands in the food industry, means that as a board of directors we have to set to work immediately on setting a bold direction for the next few years.

“Contemplating a future outside the EU, there are opportunities to come together as an industry to find distinctive Welsh solutions to ensure that agriculture and food production is profitable and resilient,” he added.

“But in the short term there are certainly challenges, not least the need to ensure continued trade with our mature European markets, and continuing to work to gain access to other countries such as the USA, Saudi Arabia and China."

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