The UK Government has today announced that it will be raising the proposed cap on 100% Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR) from £1 million to £2.5 million per person, with 50% relief to be applied to assets above this limit. 

Combined with the announcement during the UK Budget last month, that any reliefs will be transferrable between spouses, these changes will result in an effective £5 million allowance for married couples in a farming family.

These changes to APR and BPR are expected to come into effect on 6 April 2026.

Responding to the Government’s change of course on inheritance tax (IHT), FUW President Ian Rickman has said:

“Today’s news will be a welcome early Christmas present for many farmers across Wales who have endured months of uncertainty and anxiety caused by the UK Government’s ill-thought-out changes to IHT.

“The Government’s initial proposals for IHT reform caused untold worry for farming families, and have seriously dampened confidence across the sector and wider rural economy, as farmers have feared for the long-term succession of their businesses.

The FUW has consistently advocated for a fairer approach to inheritance tax reform, and has for the past year lobbied hard for the UK Government to change course and adopt a more proportionate approach. These calls have been matched by opposition parties, multiple cross-party parliamentary committees, and growing numbers of the Government’s own Members of Parliament.

“At a time of considerable uncertainty and volatility for farmers across Wales, the UK Government’s revisions to the tax threshold represent some much-needed relief. 

“Though the FUW remains frustrated with the way the UK Government has approached these reforms, I would like to offer my thanks to Ministers in the Wales Office for their willingness to engage in dialogue with us on this issue to date.”

Can you believe it's March already? An important month for a number of reasons - the weathermen refer to the first of March as the first day of spring - I really hope the weather will be more spring-like, particularly as many of us embark on lambing season.

By the time you read this, it will only be about three weeks until the clocks change and that means longer days and better and kinder weather - hopefully! But there is another special little day happening in March too - a whole day to celebrate us women!

International Women's Day is celebrated annually on the 8th of March, in different ways around the world in order to celebrate the achievements of women in the political, scientific, financial world etc. We can also add one more area to this list which is agriculture, and one woman from Carmarthenshire is an inspiration to us all in proving that it is possible to balance different responsibilities and make a difference.

Ann Davies is a wife, mother, grandmother, farmer, an active member of the Farmers’ Union of Wales, and a passionate Member of Parliament in Westminster since 2024 and has broken new ground for women in agriculture.

On the eve of International Women's Day, I had the opportunity to ask Ann about her personal experience of how to make a difference, here is Ann to explain more: 

"With International Women's Day being celebrated on the 8th of March, it is important to take a moment to reflect and appreciate the contribution of women to the agricultural industry and beyond," explains Ann. "As women, we often take on several roles at the same time, and as a mother, grandmother, farmer and Member of Parliament for Carmarthen, I know very well how important the ability to balance different responsibilities is.

“Being a woman in traditional industries such as agriculture and politics requires resilience and dedication, but it also offers invaluable opportunities to make a difference.

"From being a peripatetic music teacher to working in Westminster, my journey has been one of hard work and perseverance. As Chair of the Carmarthenshire County Branch of the FUW, I have seen women across our communities take their place in shaping the future of agriculture. We must ensure that the voices of women within the industry are heard and that they receive the resources to succeed - be it on the farm, in business, or in Parliament.

"The agricultural industry has attracted a lot of attention in the press recently, and there is no doubt that it is under pressure. With changes to inheritance taxe, rising costs and the need for greater sustainability, it is essential that the voice of every farmer - whether male or female - is heard. In Westminster, I continue to press for support for Welsh family farms, which act not only as the backbone of our rural communities but also as custodians of our language and culture.

“Despite the pressure, my roots keep me strong. Time on the farm with the family, Sunday lunch with the grandchildren, and milking on mornings when I'm not in London reminds me of who I am. Women across Wales are proving every day that they can balance work, family and public life. My message to any woman is: don't be afraid to take your place. We have a voice - let's use it."

Ann's story from close to the farm to Westminster is an interesting one, an inspiration and above all encourages women to venture into traditional fields and to make a difference.

Thank you Ann for your dedication, hard work and persistence, at home in Carmarthenshire and ensuring that there is solid representation for women in agriculture and that there is a passionate voice for Welsh farmers over in Westminster.

We look forward to seeing more women representing agriculture at all levels!

Angharad Evans – FUW Welsh Language Communications Officer - this article originally appeared in the March 2025 edition of Y Tir

As we step into 2026, it’s worth taking a moment to look back at 2025 - a year that brought significant developments for Welsh agriculture, alongside the familiar pressures that continue to shape daily life on our family farms.

After years of conversations, confrontation and collaboration, the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) was finally announced in 2025. While the scheme is not without its flaws, it is a considerable improvement on where the process began. As a Union, we welcomed the opportunity during autumn to engage with farmers through our Wales-wide SFS Roadshow, ensuring members had clear, practical information as they weighed up their options. With farmers now at a crossroads between entering the new SFS or opting for the tapered BPS, our work is far from over. The FUW’s dedicated team of staff will remain alongside our members as we understand, adapt to, and navigate this new scheme together.

2025 was about far more than SFS alone. The year saw the continuation of our efforts to lobby the UK government on their ill-thought-out changes to inheritance tax - a move that risks undermining the long-term future of our family farms and rural communities. The Bluetongue scare served as a sharp reminder of how quickly animal health threats and regulatory challenges can emerge, while ongoing pressures - rising cost of living, bovine TB, and increasingly volatile weather - continued to test the resilience of our businesses.

Despite the difficulties, 2025 also offered a chance for celebration. Undeb Amaethwyr Cymru marked 70 years of standing strong for Welsh family farms, a milestone that allowed us to reflect on the strength of our membership and the importance of the Union’s role in exclusively representing the voice of Welsh farmers. From the Royal Welsh to local shows, and the Senedd, it was a pleasure to catch-up with so many members and friends as we looked back on seven decades of dedication to Welsh agriculture. Diolch to everyone who played their part in those celebrations.

2026 will bring a generational shift in Welsh politics, with an expanded Senedd, new constituencies, and a reshaped political landscape. Whatever party - or parties - form the next government in May, a Senedd in which around two-thirds of Members will be new provides both an opportunity and a responsibility for us to engage proactively, build relationships, and ensure the voice of Welsh agriculture is heard clearly from the outset. No doubt, January’s Farmhouse Breakfast Week - always one of our calendar highlights -  will provide a key opportunity to begin those conversations, both at the Senedd and around kitchen tables and communities across Wales.

Here at Gurnos as we look forward to 2026 there's plenty to think about. The last of 2025s Wagyu calves have moved onto their new home. While they grew well, rearing costs were higher, so we need to check our figures to make sure we are hitting our margin. Calf rearing seems to fit into our farming system well, and we've been rearing Wagyus for 3 years now, they don't usually come onto the farm until mid - April, after lambing so we've got time before we have to make the call. 

Talking of lambing, so far this winter the sheep are looking well. We don't scan until the end of January, so fingers crossed and more news on how that goes next time. Winter feed stocks don't look too bad, our swedes are a bit patchy but much better than last year. We re-drilled the patches in the fields where they hadn't germinated with stubble turnips and with the help of some chicken manure and favourable weather in the early autumn they have grown well. All we need now is some dry weather once we start to strip graze them! 

2025 seems to have flown by, and as we start 2026 there's one thing we know for certain about the coming year, there will be plenty of challenges out there for Welsh farmers, it's how we rise to those challenges that's important. 

Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd dda!

This column will feature in the January 2026 edition of Y Tir, the Farmers' Union of Wales' members magazine. 

By Glyn Roberts, former FUW President

On reflection, I can’t recall the first time I met Lorraine. A person of great character and warmth but I do remember her on the FUW’s Finance & Organisation (F&O) committee, of which she was elected some time before me. Lorraine and Terry Bayliss used to travel up to Aberystwyth together, I learned very quickly that if I wanted to convince these two I needed to carry out my homework first, as both were of strong characters. I probably disagreed more with Lorraine on some things than any other member of the F&O, but any disagreement ended at the door on the way out.

A few years ago, Eleri, myself and our daughters went to visit Lorraine at Cwm Carno. She made us feel at home straight away. We could see she was a hard working, independent woman with a heart of gold. She was sure of her beliefs and would undoubtedly stand up for herself in a male dominated agricultural world. Sometimes, people would take her the wrong way due to her abruptness, as I learned. You had to take Lorraine as she was! She was an inspiration to my daughters - a strong willed woman. Lorraine and Beca used to discuss farming issues and always teased one another - she had a great sense of humour. I can hear her now saying “Don’t you listen to your father! You do whatever you want! You show him how to farm!”

Last August was the last time Eleri and I visited Lorraine. Unfortunately, I could see a deterioration in her health but her mind was as sharp as ever! Soon the conversation revolved around FUW matters and back to the good old days of the F&O. I remember telling her that we disagreed on many things, her answer was that the important thing was that we had a mutual respect, we did what was best for the Union and the industry, and we did nothing for our own benefit. Fair play to Lorraine she lived by these principles.

Another of her principles was her determination to give Lee Pritchard an opportunity to develop within agriculture as he was not from a farming background. On that day we last saw her, we saw others who had been important to her - she emphasised her respect for the FUW’s current President Ian Rickman as well as past Presidents Gareth Vaughan and Emyr Jones. She was also very complimentary of the FUW’s County Executive Officer in Glamorgan and Gwent, Sharon Pritchard and past County Executive Officer, Glyn Davies.

The picture of Lorraine shows us exactly who Lorraine was - it shows the passion Lorraine had not only for agriculture but also for the FUW with her cap and the Welsh Black jumper, that’s how I will definitely remember her.

Lorraine used to be a teacher, but her true career was farming and her heart was in the rural community. She was from the Valleys, with a strong Valleys accent and was proud to carry the Valleys values running through her veins! She used to tell me that she was one of the “WERIN”, not one of the “crachach!”

Although her health was not at its best in the last few years, she coped well in a positive manner. She still visited the Royal Welsh Show and adapted herself to the environment by using the buggy.

She, like everyone else, did have some disappointments in life, I’ll never forget the way she opened her heart to me on one occasion. She said that she was not as hard as some people thought she was. I remember seeing a poster with a picture of a kiwi fruit stating it was hard on the outside and rough on the edges but soft in the middle, this was Lorraine in a nutshell. 

I remember travelling from Anglesey Show with Lorraine and Beca when Lee phoned. From my one-sided conversation, I understood that Lee wanted a new machine and Lorraine sounded quite adamant and stern that she could not justify the investment. After concluding the conversation, Lorraine turned to me and said Lee would have the machine as he was such a good boy, “I’m so lucky to have him.”

Lee was like a son to Lorraine, they were such a good team. There was mutual respect and friendship between both, I’m adamant Lorraine’s legacy will live on through Lee, and pob lwc to Lee and the family.

Cwsg a gwyn dy fyd Lorraine fach. 

Llyfr o atgofion a hiraeth - ni all neb ei gau. 
A book full of memories and loss - no one can never close.