The Farmers' Union of Wales has stressed European Commission proposals, published today, relating to changes to the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) should prompt action by the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) to take a proactive role in defending Wales's interests.
FUW president Gareth Vaughan said: "Today's publication contains a great deal of information which highlights the importance of maintaining a strong Common Agricultural Policy in order to ensure food security and protect our rural communities and environments.
"However, the document is weak on specific details and really serves to outline a list of broad agenda items for the forthcoming debate on the future of the CAP post 2013."
Mr Vaughan, speaking prior to a briefing session on the publication with Owen Jones, Head of Unit for the EU's Financial Management of the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund, said: "Agriculture makes an essential contribution to Wales's economy and the CAP represents an annual injection of around £380m into our rural communities.
"In light of this importance, the Welsh Assembly Government must now rise to the challenge and argue for a post 2013 CAP which gives the maximum benefit to Wales."
The document - entitled "The CAP towards 2020: Meeting the food, natural resources, and territorial challenges of the future" - names the three main objectives of a future CAP as being viable food production, sustainable management of natural resources and climate action, and balanced territorial development.
The document also draws attention to the need to ensure farmers receive a fairer share of returns from the supply chain, drawing attention to the fact that farmers' share of retail prices have fallen dramatically over the years, while the profits of others, such as the major retailers, have boomed.
"There are a number of welcome suggestions in the document, and others which are not welcome," said Mr Vaughan.
"However, there is little or no meat on the bones at the moment and the real devil will be in the more detailed proposals which will emerge over the coming months.
"The Welsh Assembly Government must do all it can to influence those proposals in a way which benefits Wales, and ensures that we get a share of CAP funding which more properly reflects the challenges faced in Wales."
The FUW has previously been severely critical of WAG's failure to investigate what Welsh priorities should be in terms of CAP reform.
In July this year the union told the Assembly's Rural Development Sub Committee that WAG "appeared content to sit on the sidelines with no clear view on CAP reform, despite the importance of the CAP to Wales's economy, while other countries were proactively influencing the debate at an European level in a way which might not necessarily be beneficial to Wales".
Mr Vaughan said there are a number of welcome suggestions in the document and others which are not welcome. "I am particularly concerned at the proposed 'greening' of Pillar one, which could require farmers to undertake additional environmental management over and above cross compliance.
"Our view is that environmental goods and services have a value to society and so farmers should be compensated for undertaking them, as currently happens under Pillar two."