Farming and the rural way of life in under attack from the Welsh Labour Government in Cardiff Bay and the UK Labour Government in Westminster.
Sustainable Farming Scheme in Wales:
The Welsh Conservatives launched their alternative vision to Welsh Labour's proposed Sustainable Farming Scheme in 2024. There was widespread criticism and protest against Welsh Labour's plans. An impact assessment report predicted massive job losses and a hit to the Welsh economy. A major stumbling block in these SFS proposals is the requirement for 10% trees and a further 10% as habitat. This on top of an income foregone, costs incurred model, will mean many farming businesses unable to survive, making us more reliant on foreign imports and clocking up air miles in transport. The pressure from our proposal, from protests and from unions, have all lead to some much needed changes to SFS - most importantly the provision of some underlying payment to provide stability in the long term. James is also calling for Farmers to be rewarded for climate change mitigation measures through utilising the Climate Change budget.
However we still don't yet have payment rates and this is causing huge uncertainty and lack of forward investment in the agricultural sector. We will all anxiously wait to hear the final details at this year's Royal Welsh Show.
Inheritance Tax - driving the family farm out of business
As if the Welsh Labour Government wasn't enough to contend with, we have the UK Labour Government driving family farms out of business with their changes to Inheritance Tax rules. The majority of farms in Wales are family owned, pasted down through generations, many have a combined value over £1million. But that doesn't mean they have the cashflow in the bank to pay 20% death duties. Many say this will force them to sell up.
We need to value our Farms and their environmental work
The future of Welsh Farming remains very precarious. We must protect our agricultural sector, our culture and welsh language. We must recognise the value Welsh farms play in shaping our landscape and undertaking environmental actions to mitigate climate change. Many see agriculture as the problem with climate change but the reality is they can be the solution. We must take farmers with us on any environmental schemes if they are to have any chance of success. We must value the high quality meat, reared to the highest welfare and environmental standards, produced with sustainability at its heart. Governments of all colours must back our farmers, back the agricultural sector and recognise the immense value this has on communities, on areas, on landscapes and for the country's food security.
