The Farmers’ Union of Wales has highlighted the depression affecting Wales’ farming industry and the need to use Rural Development funds to help farm businesses.
Speaking alongside Deputy Minister Rebecca Evans at the Wales Farming Conference (June 4), FUW president Emyr Jones told delegates that Welsh farmers are facing the most challenging and difficult period for a decade, as a severely depleted CAP budget, coupled with ongoing uncertainty over what form the Basic Payment Scheme will take, added to extreme pressures caused by a crash in farm gate returns and farm incomes.
“Put simply, farming once again finds itself in depression, and the anger out there amongst the industry is evident,” said Mr Jones.
Describing the Strategic Framework for Welsh Agriculture consultation document launched by the Deputy Minister at the conference, Mr Jones said it contained aspirations for agriculture which few could disagree with, especially given the difficulties currently facing the industry, with agricultural prosperity and profitability being at the core of the framework.
Comparing the document with previous strategies, Mr Jones told delegates that “I’m glad to say that the strategy framework proposals being launched today differ significantly, even radically, in that, if adopted, this is not some 200 page strategy document which will join the others on the shelf.”
“Thanks to the joint work of government and industry bodies, it proposes the formation of an umbrella partnership group to oversee a short and to the point list of key objectives, most notably achieving and sustaining profitability.”
However, Mr Jones warned that the ability to influence many key factors which would help achieve these objectives were limited.
“We cannot control oil prices or exchange rates, and only God can change the weather which can make or break a profitable year.
“But the Rural Development Programme is one key toolbox we do have at our disposal.
“For our industry, and in particular our most important food producers who, whatever the final decision on the Basic Payment model is will lose the most significant amounts of money, the RDP is a lifeline.”
Mr Jones reminded those present of former minister Alun Davies’ commitment to using RDP funds to invest in the future of agriculture and equip it to cope with reductions in financial support and market failure, and welcomed the Deputy Minister’s commitments to strategic initiatives aimed at the red meat and dairy industries in particular.
“I welcome the Deputy Minister’s commitments to strategic initiatives aimed at the red meat and dairy industries in particular, and would urge Welsh Government to ensure that the partnership approach which it has signed up to is adopted when it comes to putting more flesh on the bones of the RDP so we can achieve the key objectives identified in this document, most importantly the profitability and prosperity of agriculture, without which all other objectives for our rural communities and landscapes become unattainable and irrelevant.”