Welsh Liberal Democrats leader Kirsty Williams called for increased government support for Welsh farmers when she addressed the Farmers’ Union of Wales’ Carmarthenshire county executive committee recently.
“In order to ensure a healthy economy, population and environment we must better promote and support our Welsh farming industry,” the Brecon and Radnorshire AM told union members.
“With six out of every seven British hill farmers having no identified successor we must turn farming into a profitable and thriving industry, and make sure that this way of life does not die out with this generation.
“To secure the future of rural Wales we must ensure that our farmers and consumers get an honest and fair deal,” said Ms Williams. “The promotion of food quality, more local procurement, furthering biodiversity and fair prices are the best kind of medicine for a healthier Wales.
“In difficult times such as this economic recovery starts at home, so consumers should be proud to ‘Buy Welsh’ and ‘Buy Local’. Welsh farmers have some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world and supermarkets should pay fair prices for the high quality product they produce.
“Farmers don’t want to be given subsidies, what they want is to receive a fair payment for their hard work. Supermarket greed is forcing farmers out of business.
“Whilst world food demand is set to double over the next 40 years we stand by helpless as we lose the capacity to produce it.
“Alongside international fair trade products we need to see Fair Trade for our Welsh farmers,” Ms Williams said. “We need a legally binding supermarket code, enforced by an independent Food Market Regulator to enforce fair trade for farmers and to help this industry prosper as it should.
“This is especially crucial for the dairy sector that is under so much pressure at the present time. We need the Government to take action now to secure production in the Welsh milk field.”
Ms Williams added that, like the FUW, she had grave concerns over the proposed implementation timescale of the new Welsh Assembly Government’s GLASTIR scheme. “To date the details and consequences of this new scheme have not be fully worked out or tested.
“The Agriculture Minister must be prepared to listen to the concerns of the industry and delay implementation until there is clarity around the scheme that allows for individual farm business to plan for their future.
“In recent months we have seen much comment about the damaging effects of the methane from livestock on climate change. However, new pioneering work demonstrates that proper grassland management can be crucial in capturing carbon and thus Welsh farmers are well placed to play a key role in the Government’s plans to address climate change.”
