We have today welcomed Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths’ support for our call for an overarching UK framework for agricultural policy with appropriate flexibility for devolved regions.
Speaking during a panel discussion at the Oxford Farming Conference, Mrs Griffiths highlighted the fact that key areas of agricultural policy had been devolved to Wales since 1999, but that a UK framework which respected devolution was needed.
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"Without direct support via Pillar 1 most businesses would not survive..." - Glyn Roberts[/caption]
Speaking from the conference, FUW President Glyn Roberts said: “I welcome our own Cabinet Secretary’s support for the FUW’s policy position published last year.”
The panel - comprising Defra Minister George Eustice; SNP Environment and Rural Affairs spokesperson Calum Kerr; Welsh Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths and Northern Irish Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Michelle McIlveen - generally agreed that the devolved regions should work together to develop some form of mechanism to prevent distortion between agricultural producers in different regions.
However, Mr Roberts expressed concern that the Welsh Cabinet Secretary did not explicitly support SNP spokesman Calum Kerr’s call during the debate for current agricultural and rural development spending to be at least maintained post 2020 until alternative means of sustaining farm incomes became apparent.
“Mr Kerr highlighted the importance of direct support and maintaining the current budget to Scotland and it’s farmers, and Wales is in a very similar position in terms of the reliance of our rural businesses and economy on the current allocation,” said Mr Roberts.
“The economic and social arguments in favour of maintaining the Welsh budget for agriculture and rural development into the future are no different to those in Scotland.
Mr Roberts said that Welsh Farm Business Survey results show every pound given in direct support for Welsh farming generates many more in terms of employment and payments to other businesses.
“The figures also show that without direct support via Pillar 1 most businesses would not survive, meaning the loss of a multi-billion pound multiplier effect that brings vast benefits to Wales’ economy.
“Wales needs to take a strong position on maintaining the budget, just as it did during the negotiations over the CAP budget - or risk a net fall in our overall funding allocation, with dire knock-on effects for our entire economy,” he added.