Farmers’ Union of Wales officials have held discussions around actions the UK Government must take to ensure pressure on farmers, food producers and consumers is relieved in the immediate term, while bolstering food and energy security in ways which reduce the dangers of future exposure to global emergencies, when they met with Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Dr James Davies MP at the Royal Welsh Winter Fair.
Reinforcing the FUW’s 5 Point Plan, officials outlined key asks with regard to resetting international trade policy, restoring relationships with our nearest neighbours, inspiring a renewable energy revolution, rethinking domestic agricultural and rural policies and providing support for critical industries.
Only recently, former Secretary of State for Agriculture George Eustice confirmed that trade deals with Australia and New Zealand gave away massive access to the UK food markets in exchange for negligible benefits for the UK economy. The FUW has always known and made clear that these deals sell Welsh farmers and UK food security down the river in exchange for virtually nothing and the Union stressed during the meeting with Dr Davies that the Wales Office should be robust in scrutinising and opposing any similar deals in future.
Union officials also emphasised the need to restore the UK's relationship with the EU and neighbouring countries in order to protect UK food exports and security.
The FUW welcomed the new Prime Minister's more diplomatic and constructive attitude to dealing with the EU compared with his two predecessors, and hopes that the adoption of a more mature approach will allow the UK to build upon the very thin trade deal currently in place in order to remove barriers to Welsh exports.
Dr Davies was also told of the importance of restoring better support for on-farm renewable energy in order to help tackle climate change and bolster UK energy security.
Wales has only tapped into a fraction of the potential in terms of on-farm renewable energy production, and the growth seen in the past decade plateaued off significantly after feed in tariffs were removed. The UK Government needs to reverse that position to once again make investment in on-farms renewables viable given the ongoing energy crisis, while all Governments need to remove barriers for those seeking to generate energy at the farm scale.