FUW and NFU Cymru present shared vision for the future of Welsh farming at Plaid Cymru Conference
The Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) and NFU Cymru hosted a joint meeting at the Plaid Cymru Conference in Swansea focusing on the future of Welsh farming. Greeting politicians, candidates and party members the unions relayed their calls for stability, fair funding, and a strong voice for rural Wales in the next Senedd.
Opened by Plaid Cymru’s Rural Affairs Spokesperson, Llŷr Gruffydd MS, the joint fringe event saw FUW President, Ian Rickman, and NFU Cymru President Aled Jones present their key priorities for the next Senedd and Welsh Government, highlighting seven shared ambitions that form the foundation of their respective manifestos.
A key element of the discussion focused on the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) and ensuring fair, long-term agricultural funding that gives farmers the stability they need to plan ahead with confidence. Both unions are also calling for a Welsh Food Plan to support domestic food production and strengthen the nation’s food security.
Other shared ambitions included tackling on-farm bureaucracy, implementing a science-led strategy to eradicate bovine TB, and addressing ongoing concerns over NVZ regulations and the unintended consequences they continue to create for family farms.
Finally, both unions emphasised the importance of promoting a balanced approach to land use that meets environmental and social needs while continuing to support farming businesses and rural communities across Wales.
Commenting following the event, Aled Jones, NFU Cymru President, said: “The Sustainable Farming Scheme has the potential to be a policy that supports Welsh farming to deliver for our environment, economy and communities. The Government must commit to developing it further and ensure it delivers fair rewards for the work farmers do every day.”
Ian Rickman, President of the FUW, also used the event to reinforce the two unions’ shared concerns over the recently published Welsh Government economic modelling for the SFS, which predicts reductions in livestock numbers, farm labour, and income.
“The figures released last month are deeply worrying; a potential 16% drop in income for Welsh farm businesses is not sustainable. Farmers are delivering more than ever to feed the nation, care for the environment, and sustain rural Wales. We need policies that recognise and support that contribution, not ones that make it harder.”
Both Presidents also renewed their call for the UK Government to rethink its proposed changes to Inheritance Tax, warning that the plans risk undermining family farming businesses and rural communities.
Emphasising that while the challenges facing the industry are significant, they unions noted that they are not without solutions. Aled Jones concluded: “Every single person in Wales depends on the future of Welsh farming, whether for the food on their plate or the livelihoods sustained by the industry. Farmers want to continue playing their part in a strong, sustainable, and successful Wales, but they need the support and stability to do so.”
Ian Rickman added: “We want to work constructively with the next Welsh Government and Senedd, whatever its composition, to ensure that farming continues to be the beating heart of rural Wales; supporting our economy, our language, and our communities.”
