Plaid Cymru has broadly welcomed the recommendations of the Resilience Review by Kevin Roberts published by the Welsh Government today but has warned the Government not to turn its back on less competitive farms.
Commenting on the Roberts review into the resilience of farming, Llyr Huws Gruffydd, Plaid Cyrmu’s Shadow Minister for Sustainable, Energy & Food, who lives on an upland family farm, said:
“The report draws attention to the significant variation between the best and worst performers within upland farming. While there is a need to help all farms introduce changes that will make their businesses more resilient in the longer-term, there is a growing feeling among farmers that the government is turning its back on those who might currently be at the bottom of the efficiency and competitiveness league.
“Plaid Cymru wants all farmers to have the same opportunity to improve their business and we urge the Government not to leave anyone behind. The Minister is clearly driving through changes that will restructure large parts of the industry. He must introduce these changes in a way that allows time to adapt and that offers support to all those who want to improve their farming business.
“Plaid Cymru welcomes a number of the long list of recommendations in the report. We have long called for the need to investigate alternative methods for the disposal of fallen stock from farms and for more support for the development of local livestock markets and local abattoirs.
“The need to improve the current energy infrastructure capacity in the uplands of Wales is key to encouraging more small-scale renewable energy projects. There are other recommendations which aren’t as positive, particularly the maximum transfer of 15% of the funds from Pillar 1 to Pillar 2 of CAP which the Minister announced last month.
“It is also heartening to see the report recognise the wider socio-economic contribution of farming that underpins the social, cultural and linguistic resilience of many of our rural communities in Wales. Something that is all too often forgotten when the Government consider this resilience agenda.”
