If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging; advice several politicians should have heeded as temperatures remain high in the farming community following the proposed changes to the inheritance tax. From the First Minister’s unfortunate ‘calm down’ quip, to a former aide of Tony Blair suggesting family farms were 'an industry we could do without’. At a time of worry and frustration, such words do little but rub salt into the wound of an industry already in distress.
The latter of these comments, and the suggestion that the Government should do battle with family farms in the way Margaret Thatcher did with striking miners, was particularly poignant for us here in Wales. We already know that small family farms are the backbone of Wales’ agricultural sector, with an average farm size of 120 acres - almost half that of a typical English farm (217 acres). The disproportionate prominence of these smaller, family farms, provide an unique feel for Wales’ farming sector and communities - playing a key role in local employment, and maintaining the social fabric of our rural areas, including the Welsh language. In many instances, these farms have been passed from parent to child for centuries, another reason why the Chancellor’s shake-up to inheritance procedures has caused so much hurt over recent weeks.
Last weekend the Farmers’ Union of Wales welcomed the opportunity to highlight the key importance of the family farms at the Welsh Labour Conference in Llandudno. The conference provided an opportunity to directly discuss the changes to the inheritance tax reform with MP’s and MS’s, as well as meeting the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies MS. Of course, it wasn’t just Labour politicians that assembled in the seaside town either, and we welcomed the opportunity to engage with the significant number of farmers that had congregated to voice their concerns.
Whilst the changes to the inheritance tax continue to dominate the headlines at Westminster, much of the talk with Labour Senedd Members revolved around the revised Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS). We expect a statement from the Cabinet Secretary on the proposals next week at the Winter Fair. Whilst the announcement of the revised scheme outline will merely mark the end of the beginning - it will provide an important insight into the expectations and support that will be put forward for farmers in Wales to produce quality, sustainable food alongside other environmental and public goods. The FUW looks forward to engaging with its members once these plans are announced.
And in mentioning the Winter Fair, do remember to call by the FUW stand near the cattle ring this year. It does promise to be a brilliant event once again - highlighting the very best of rural Wales and showcasing the key importance of our family farms.