OUR FARMERS AND THE EU

Our membership of the European Union brings massive benefits to the Welsh agricultural industry and our farming communities. As a result, our economy benefits by around £5.8billion. Wales receives significant financial support from the EU’s structural funds. The CAP provides the Welsh farming industry with substantial financial resources supporting over 80% of Welsh farmers.

DEFRA’s own figures indicate that around 55% of the UK’s agricultural income comes from CAP. In addition to the direct payments, rural communities across Wales will receive, through the Rural Development Programme, over £900m between 2014 and 2020, with over half of this funding coming from Europe.

Our ability to trade with European markets has led to Britain’s agri-food exports more than doubling over the last ten years. If Welsh farmers found themselves outside the single market then our agricultural exports to Europe would face a tariff of 14% on top of the selling price, with a higher tariff imposed on certain items.

Last year, ‘Hybu Cig Cymru’ received over £3m to promote Welsh lamb and beef to our key markets – France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Ireland. Leaving the EU would result in the UK’s beef and lamb industry incurring additional costs under export rules imposed by the World Trade Organisation. 

The advocates of Brexit suggest that the Treasury in London would make up for the loss of funds if the UK left the EU. There is of course no guarantee that this will happen. In fact, politicians, particularly those representing our big cities and urban conurbations are calling for further cuts to agricultural spend that comes from the EU.

For Welsh farming communities in particular, it is vital that we remain part of the EU. Our unrestricted access to a market of 500 million people is key to Welsh business and the prosperity of our agricultural industries. It would be simply madness if we turned our backs on one of our biggest export markets simply to indulge in the politics of Fantasy Island. 

PLAID OUTLINES A THRIVING FUTURE FOR FARMING

Plaid Cymru’s farming mini-manifesto, launched ahead of the Westminster General Election, outlines how Plaid Cymru wants to work to make sure the Common Agriculture Policy works for Welsh farmers. It also focuses on reducing bureaucracy, ensuring that Rural Development Programme funding is used effectively, and that public procurement better supports Welsh farmers and Welsh jobs.

Llyr Gruffydd AM, Plaid Cymru's Shadow Minister for Sustainable Communities, Energy and Food; said:  

"Plaid Cymru is committed to reducing red tape in order to give the industry the flexibility it needs to respond effectively to these challenging times. We would start by scrapping the six-day standstill rule which has served its purpose.

"We have our sights set on improving services in rural communities. We are committed to delivering Superfast broadband to 100% of Wales to ensure everybody is connected and anyone can do business from home.

"We will also fight to make sure rural Wales is brought into the EU's Rural Fuel Rebate scheme which will deliver a 5p cut in the price of fuel to rural areas whose inhabitants are forced to spend a higher portion of their income on fuel than people in urban areas.

"Plaid Cymru understands our communities and their needs. We are fighting to return the strongest ever group of MPs to the Commons to make sure that those needs are served in Westminster."

CALL FOR ACTION ON AGRICULTURE

Agriculture in our country is facing unprecedented challenges, and our farmers are facing a perfect storm, a combination of financial problems, red tape, falling milk and beef gate prices which collectively could drive parts of the agricultural sector to crisis point. In 2013, farm incomes dropped by 44% in Wales. It has been estimated that a farmer receiving £10,000 in 2013 would see their payment drop by over 20% to £7,879.

A number of different factors pose significant challenges to our agricultural sector:

• A 10% cut to the EU’s overall CAP budget
• The Welsh Government’s decision to reduce the amount of money paid directly to farmers by 15% (by moving money from Pillar 1 to Pillar 2)
• Excessive bureaucracy such as the six day standstill rule on moving animals
• Welsh Government proposals to introduce a crude and inflexible valuation system for bovine TB compensation
• A 20% reduction in the farmgate price of milk
• Substantial drops in the price of lamb and beef
• The exchange rate has fallen by 7%.

Llyr Gruffydd AM/AC, The Party of Wales Shadow Minister for Sustainable Communities, Energy and Food, has put forward a series of practical steps that the Welsh Government can take to improve the situation. He said:

“Farmers are facing a catalogue of challenges that are creating a perfect storm for the agriculture sector in Wales. Some of these factors are beyond the government’s control, such as the particularly poor exchange rate, but many of them are of the Welsh Government’s own making, and they need to be rectified.

“The Welsh Government’s decision to cut the amount of money paid directly to farmers by 15% has created untold concern. Taking nearly a quarter of a billion pounds out of the pockets of farmers at such a financially challenging time is making a bad situation worse. This, on top of the 10% cut to the agriculture budget that the Labour and Tory parties supported at an EU level, will add to this.

“Given the unprecedented challenges facing the industry in Wales the Deputy Minister must now accelerate Government action to cut red tape in the sector. She must allow farmers to get on with the job of farming and give them more flexibility to ensure their businesses endure. This should include scrapping the six day standstill rule which locks up a farm for six days every time an animal is brought on the holding.

“We also need to better support Welsh dairy and meat. Changing procurement rules at an EU level means Wales will be able to do more to encourage people to source local meat and dairy, boosting the industry and keeping prices fair. The Deputy Minister’s decision not to introduce a scheme under the Rural Development Programme to support those farming the more difficult land known as Areas of Natural Constraint is also a blow to the industry – especially when they see other parts of the UK utilising this support. 

“The Welsh Government needs to act early. A harsh winter is predicted and a panicked response to severe weather could be avoided by making some key changes now.”

WHAT'S NEXT FOR OUR FARMERS?

With the election over few politicians will be out chasing the farming vote or chasing farmers for that matter. Will Carwyn's Labour lot even try to appear to be the farmers friend or stand up for Wales? Our farmers, despite mutterings to the contrary, are not merely seeking the annual brown envelope from Brussels but for real opportunities to make a living (and a contribution) within the agricultural sector - they need a fair deal.

We in Wales still need take more practical steps to give Welsh farmers a fighting chance of making a real living; the aim of securing 80% of publicly procured food locally by 2015 should still a realistic and practical aim. This is something that could provide the first practical step towards helping Welsh farmers and other producers make the most of the new opportunities that will arise from higher public purchasing of local products.

Our farming communities, still feel pretty isolated and marginalised, the contempt with which the farmers had been treated in the past by Labour and Conservative Governments in Westminster and even in Cardiff Bay prior 2007 used to mirror the neglect of the important agricultural sector, which despite everything still makes a significant contribution to our rural economy.

Any economic failure across the farming sector could (and did) have a massive knock on effect for dependent small businesses and suppliers across the whole rural economy, in the small towns and across the Welsh countryside itself; which is as the living landscape is a result of generations of ongoing hard work by our farming community.

In the past both Labour and Conservative Governments in Westminster (and Cardiff Bay) treated the agricultural sector with indifference. It is vitally important that this attitude at all levels of Government become a thing of the past; much more effort has to be made to market first class Welsh produce within the UK, in Europe and beyond.

We should not forget, that in the 1980's it was a Tory Secretary of State who literally sat on his hands and quietly did nothing when the Welsh Dairy farmers got hammered into the ground by cuts in the milk quota. Never again must any Welsh Minister fail to stand up and be counted and to fail to argue their corner on behalf of Welsh farmers.

That changed with the arrival of Plaid's Elin Jones (who became the One Wales Government Minister for Rural Affairs) - she hit the ground running and was not afraid to meet with and stand up for our farmers and fight for their their interests - this made an immensely refreshing change from what has gone on before. The question is what or who will happen next?

AND THEN THERE WERE NONE...

With an election coming, particularly in a rural constituency, everybody (well everyone chasing votes) will appear to be the farmers friend. Our farming communities, despite this are feeling increasingly isolated and marginalised, the contempt with which the farmers have been treated by the New Labour Government (and previous Conservative Governments) in Westminster and latterly in Cardiff Bay (at least until the arrival of Plaid's Elin Jones, the Plaid driven One Wales Government Minister for Rural Affairs), used to mirror the neglect of the important agricultural sector, which still makes a significant contribution to our rural economy.

Any economic failure across the farming sector could (and did) have a massive knock on effect for dependent small businesses and suppliers across the whole rural economy, in the small towns and across the Welsh countryside itself; which is as the living landscape is a result of generations of ongoing hard work by our farming community.

In the past both Labour and Conservative Governments in Westminster (and Cardiff Bay) treated the agricultural sector with indifference. It is vitally important that this attitude at all levels of Government become a thing of the past; much more effort has to be made to market first class Welsh produce within the UK, in Europe and beyond.

Let us not forget, that in the 1980's it was a Tory Secretary of State who literally sat by and quietly did nothing when the Welsh Dairy farmers got hammered into the ground by cuts in the milk quota. Never again must any Welsh Minister fail to stand up and be counted and to fail to argue their corner on behalf of Welsh farmers. Now with Elin Jones (AM), the Plaid One Wales Government Minister for Rural Affairs we have someone who hit the ground running, who is not afraid to meet with and stand up for our farmers and their interests - this makes an immensely refreshing change from what has gone before.

Our farmers, despite mutterings to the contrary, are not merely looking for an annual brown envelope from Brussels but for a real opportunity to make a contribution (and make a living) within the agricultural sector - to do this they need a fair deal. We in Wales need to take more practical steps to give Welsh farmers a fighting chance of making a real living; securing 80% of publicly procured food locally by 2015 is a realistic and practical aim. This is something that could provide the first practical step towards helping Welsh farmers and other producers make the most of the new opportunities that will arise from higher public purchasing of local products.

A BIG YESS

The launch of this scheme, by Wales’ Agriculture Minister Elin Jones AM, is a significant step forward for the farming industry in Wales. The evidence suggests that there are between 100 and 200 young entrants taking over the running of farming businesses each year in Wales.

The new scheme called the Young Entrants Support Scheme (YESS) will offer business support and financial help to people under 40 get into farming for themselves. If we in Wales want a thriving agricultural sector in the future, then the farming industry in Wales needs not just to survive, but to grow, if this is to happen then this rate of younger people moving into the industry needs to increase significantly.

This new scheme is a significant and practical step in the right direction toward the creation of a dynamic and competitive farming industry that is fit for the future in Wales. As those in the farming industry know, and as with any home grown industry it is essential that young talent is nurtured, encouraged and supported.

One of our greatest resources is its people, and we are blessed by necessity with an adaptable workforce in all walks of life, and in the agricultural sector we are not short of young people who have got huge amounts of enthusiasm, ability and drive to get on. So the launch of the YESS scheme is most welcome, as it is only right that the Welsh government should be helping Welsh young people to start out in the industry.

And then there were none…

Despite the recession, the Westminster and the Plaid driven One Wales National Assembly Government need to work hard to ensure that Welsh farmers get a fair deal so that they can earn a real living - otherwise there will not be any farmers left!

Our farmers and our farming communities are feeling increasingly isolated and marginalised, the contempt with which the farmers have been treated in by the New Labour Government in Westminster and also in Cardiff Bay (certainly prior to May 2007) mirrored the neglect of the important agricultural sector, which still makes a significant contribution to our rural economy.

Any economic failure across the farming sector will have a massive knock on for dependent businesses across the rural economy and for the Welsh countryside, itself, as the living landscape is a result of generations of hard work by the farming community.

By way of example some 33,000 people are employed in the red meat supply chain, quite rightly the Plaid driven One Wales Government views the red meat sector as a major player in Wales. The industry contributes some £381 million to the Welsh economy, including exports worth £108 million, which is 43% of the total value of annual agricultural output.

By supporting this sector of the agricultural economy, we can help fight the recession and help build a flourishing and diverse sustainable agricultural economy for the 21st Century.

The truth is in the past both Labour and Conservative Governments in Westminster and Cardiff Bay treated the agricultural sector with indifference. It is vitally important that this attitude become outdated; much more effort has to be made to market first class Welsh produce within the UK, in Europe and beyond.

It is important to remember that in the 1980's a Tory Secretary of State literally sat by and quietly did nothing when the Dairy farmers were hammered into the ground by cuts in the milk quota. Never again must any Welsh Minister fail to stand up, to be counted, to speak out and to fail to argue their corner on behalf of Welsh farmers.

Some things may have finally changed, for at least with Elin Jones (AM), the Plaid One Wales Government Minister for Rural Affairs we actually has someone who has hit the ground running and who is not afraid to meet with, listen to and actually talk to as well as stand up for our farmers and their interests – this makes a refreshing change from what has gone before.

Our farmers are not merely looking for an annual brown envelope from Brussels but for a real opportunity to make a contribution within the agricultural sector - to do this they need a fair deal.

We need practical steps to give Welsh farmers a fighting chance of making a real living; securing 80% of publicly procured food locally by 2015 is a realistic and practical aim. This is something that could provide the first practical step towards helping Welsh farmers and other producers make the most of the new opportunities that will arise from higher public purchasing of local products.