With the Welsh Government, we can deliver

This last time last month, I wrote about the Senedd elections and their importance to the future of the Welsh agricultural industry. By now, as we all know, Labour has equalled its best performance which shows that the Welsh public trust them in running the country.

As I have previously said, I feel that some of Labour’s agricultural policies do not promote a financially prosperous and green industry.

I cannot see the NVZ policy, nor the public goods policy, meeting the government’s own objectives within Welsh agriculture. However, it’s not all bad.

We can all agree that the agrifood industry is an incredibly important part of the Welsh economy. Without Welsh production of raw materials, the industry would be much smaller; this would be reflected in a considerable reduction in the number of jobs in rural areas.

I think Labour will agree that it is imperative that we continue to support and grow the farming and food sector in Wales. Secondly, we have all had the importance of food security brought to our attention in recent months, with the pandemic highlighting the need to produce our own food.

We were very grateful for the farmers who continued to work and provide food for the nation, despite the challenges being faced. Considering the difficulties in infrastructure we faced as a country in 2020, I was incredibly proud to see British farms continuing to deliver a supply of fantastic produce to the nation.

I’m sure we will all continue to show our gratitude through supporting local food production as life returns to normal.

Thirdly, we can agree that we’re seeing the impact of climate change and, year after year, we are facing some unusual episodes of weather. We should work alongside Welsh Government to use farms as solutions. This needs to be done delicately; it will require a fine balance of maintaining food production and implementation of green farming practices. This will require the government to offer financial support to farmers, as we cannot expect them to improve practices without acknowledging the associated costs.

And finally, I am happy to see that Welsh Government fully appreciates that Welsh produce is world class, both in terms of quality and in terms of sustainability. Wales’ agricultural carbon footprint is far lower than world averages. During lockdown, the First Minister himself stated how much he loved cheese and how it evoked memories of him visiting his grandparents’ farm here in Carmarthenshire.

I ask the Welsh Government to work alongside the industry and NFU Cymru to ensure any policy brought out will have a positive impact on farming.

I’m confident that, working together, we can help the government to deliver workable policies that support sustainable and high-quality food production on our family farms.