Welsh farmers today raised their reservations about the difficulties they face in gaining entry to the Welsh Assembly Government's Glastir agri-environment scheme with the new chairman of the Countryside Council for Wales.
Morgan Parry, who was appointed in March, told Farmers' Union of Wales land use committee members he was keen to learn from farmers and wanted to build on the good relations set by his predecessor.
The committee's chairman Richard Vaughan said the meeting was an opportunity to meet Mr Parry and raise some of the concerns members have such as the Glastir scheme's accessibility issues.
"We are keen to maintain a dialogue with Mr Parry because at the end of the day we have to work together. Our objectives and goals are the same.
"We both want a healthy environment but we also want a sustainable and profitable farming industry," added Mr Vaughan.