Scores of Welsh veterinary surgeons are receiving extra training to help ensure meat exports are not held up at ports following a no-deal Brexit.
Rural affairs minister Lesley Griffiths hopes their expertise will not be needed but she fears the Westminster government is “running down the clock” towards a no-deal outcome.
If the UK crashes out of the EU without a deal, Export Health Certificates (EHC) will be required to export "products of animal origin" to the EU.
Such products range from fresh meat and offal to game and poultry. They also include milk, honey, eggs, wool and even hay.
Welsh farming is hugely dependent on EU trade but for this to have any hope of continuing in a no-deal scenario, EHC capacity must be significantly expanded.
For this reason the Welsh Government launched a new EHC training scheme 10 days ago.
This will cater for at least of 80 Welsh vets with more expected to sign up before the end of February.
Mrs Griffiths said: “It is possible that if a no deal is taken off the table this extra capacity will not be required, but we must prepare for all eventualities.
“However, the training would not have been wasted as the skills are transferable and would strengthen the important certification role of the veterinary profession in Wales.”
The £96,000 training scheme is being funded from the £50m EU Transition fund launched by the Welsh Government to help Wales prepare for Brexit.
It is being administered by the Animal and Plant Health Agency in collaboration with veterinary delivery partners Iechyd Da and Menter a Busnes.
Vet Ifan Lloyd, a representative of Iechyd Da, said the initiative would help ensure Welsh vets were in a “state of preparedness” in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
But Mrs Griffiths indicated it was nothing more than a sticking plaster solution.
“We have always been clear a no-deal Brexit is not an option for Wales’ food industry,” she said.
“Crashing out of the EU could decimate economies and must be avoided at all costs.
“Our preference would be a ‘softer’ Brexit – one that allows us to stay in a customs union and a single market.
“With no new ideas and red lines firmly still in place, the UK government is simply running down the clock in a vain hope that its deal will pass.
“It must take decisive action now and act on the majority will of Parliament to rule out a no deal.”
