FUW welcomes early engagement with new Rural Resilience and Sustainability Minister
The Farmers' Union of Wales (FUW) has welcomed the opportunity to meet with the newly appointed Welsh Government Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability, Llŷr Gruffydd MS.
The meeting in Cardiff today (20 May) provided an early opportunity for the FUW to outline its key priorities as the independent voice for family farms in Wales, discussing synergies between the Union’s manifesto asks and the policy commitments of the Plaid Cymru Government on food and farming.
Aligning with the government’s commitment to a multi-year funding cycle for the Sustainable Farming Scheme, the FUW highlighted the importance of ensuring that future funding allocations deliver long-term stability for family farms while supporting food production, environmental outcomes and rural communities across Wales. Central to providing this stability for farm business planning is the need to guarantee the Universal Baseline Payment rates within the Scheme, and ensure that farmers have access to Optional and Collaborative support as quickly as possible.
The meeting also provided an opportunity for the FUW to outline its wider priorities for the incoming Welsh Government, including those that align with the government’s plans for the first 100 days of the parliamentary term.
Commenting following the meeting, FUW President Ian Rickman said: “We welcomed this early opportunity to discuss the policy areas that will receive urgent attention by the new Minister, including initial thoughts around the independent review of the bureaucratic burden on family farms in Wales, and how this will take into account ongoing work relating to bovine TB and the review of the Control of Agricultural Pollution regulations.
“We also discussed the opportunities to build on previous work to pull local supply chains together as part of a National Food Strategy. The FUW used this as an opportunity to reiterate its policy position on the need to ensure that any agricultural and/or environmental schemes and policies, current and future, will not have a negative effect on livestock numbers in Wales.”
The Union heard about the government’s plans to introduce a statutory duty on rural proofing, and welcomed the news that the wider importance of the Welsh farming and food and drink sectors will be given serious consideration within the economy and enterprise portfolios.
FUW Deputy President Dai Miles added: “We are very grateful to the Minister for meeting with us so early in his tenure. It was a valuable opportunity to set out the key issues facing Welsh farmers at a critical time for the industry. We look forward to working constructively with him and his team to ensure future policy delivers fairness, stability, and confidence for family farms across Wales.”
