Local farmer Kate Beavan took to the NFU Conference stage on Wednesday (February 22) to add produce to a specially-created hamper to be sent to International Trade Secretary Liam Fox.

Kate, who farms with her family at Llanvetherine, represented Welsh PGI lamb producers at the 2017 NFU Conference at the ICC in Birmingham by placing lamb in the hamper filled to the brim with British food and drink.

She was joined by 12 fellow farmers and growers from around the UK who provided produce for the hamper in order to send a clear message to the Department for International Trade promoting the high standards of British produce and urging policy makers not to undersell British farmers.

“The 2017 NFU Conference saw a lot of discussion about future trade deals - how these deals must give farmers and growers the opportunities to export and must not see the industry traded off against other sectors. Our high standards cannot be undermined,” she said.

“I was delighted to be able to join farmers and food producers from across the UK in sending this message to Liam Fox, who will be negotiating trade deals for Britain. We need Dr Fox to be proud of British farming and not undersell it – we need him to ensure that our high standards are maintained and we don’t open our borders up to cheap food produced at any cost from around the world.”