The Farmers’ Union of Wales has fully endorsed the recommendation made by the Commission for Welsh speaking Communities on agricultural policy in its report on ‘Empowering communities, strengthening the Welsh language’ that was published at Rhondda Cynon Taf’s National Eisteddfod.
Following input from the FUW during its development, the report recommends that: ‘the Welsh Government should ensure that the Welsh language is a central consideration in agricultural policy. There should be support for the family farm, and the principle of the importance of the family farm should be reflected in other policies such as environmental policy.’
FUW President Ian Rickman said: “The Farmers Union of Wales’ vision is to have a community of thriving, sustainable, family farms in Wales. These family farms, living and working within their communities, are the backbone of Wales’ rural areas and economy.”
County agricultural shows and social organisations and charities such as Wales’ Young Farmers Clubs and Urdd Gobaith Cymru’s adrannau and aelwydydd clubs underpin the sustainability of the Welsh language, heritage and culture.
“As the report’s authors, commissioned by the Welsh Government, describe 43.1%* of the agriculture, forestry and fishing industries’ workforce speak Welsh, the highest proportion of Welsh speakers in all sectors of economic activity in Wales.
“The Commission's recommendation aligns categorically with our belief that the Welsh language should be a central consideration in the development of agricultural and environmental policy, particularly in the makeup of a ‘social value’ payment through the proposed Sustainable Farming Scheme.
“Any proposals for future policy which compromise Welsh farm businesses, farming communities or Welsh agriculture in general would represent a significant threat to the industry within which the greatest percentage of Welsh speakers is preserved,” Ian Rickman concluded.
* Census 2021 data