THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS in Wales have criticised the UK Conservative Government following its announcement showing Welsh farmers will receive less financial support than they currently get from the EU.
At present farming subsidies from the EU, mostly distributed under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), amount to around £350million a year for Welsh farmers. This represents more than 80% of average farm incomes in Wales.
The Government’s new announcement outlined a £2.85billion funding package to replace EU funding, in which £231million is allocated to Wales.
Jane Dodds, Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats said: “Brexit is already threatening the livelihoods of our farmers, especially given the threat of no deal at the end of 2020. They need certainty and security, not less support and additional barriers to trade.
“This is a far cry from the grand promises that were made to Welsh farmers and is just another case of Conservatives saying one thing at an election and then doing another afterwards.
“The Welsh Liberal Democrats demand better for our farmers. The Conservatives must honour their commitment to guarantee existing funding in full and stop playing political games with our farmers’ futures.”
The Welsh Government’s response was not as condemnatory as Ms Dodds, but also noted the limited nature of the funding guarantee.
The Welsh Government also confirmed that it will be holding back the maximum amount of funding permitted to fund its pet projects in 2021/22 and keeping it out of farmers’ hands.
Among those projects are a commitment to reduce farming by planting woodland on agricultural land and a range of the environmental schemes favoured by those who find agriculture an impediment to their enjoyment of the countryside after they move to Wales.
Lesley Griffiths said: “Wales has benefitted from many years of European investment, including in agriculture and rural development.
This is of vital importance to Welsh farmers and rural communities.
“We welcome the announcement from the Treasury; but let us be clear, this is only making good on commitments already made.
“I would call on the UK Government to provide guarantees of funding for agriculture and to replace other current EU funds for future years.
This will allow us to plan important future work to support agriculture, develop the economy, tackle climate change and protect our environment.”
NFU Cymru President, Mr John Davies said: “I am pleased to have confirmation from the UK Government that current levels of support will be maintained for 2020.
This helps provide some stability and continuity as we prepare to leave the European Union and establish new trading relationships with the EU27 and much of the rest of the world.
Farming is, of course, a long term business with lengthy and complex production cycles, and farmers need as much certainty as possible around levels of future support payments to be able to plan for the future.”
Mr Davies continued: “This announcement is very welcome, but to help secure the future of Welsh agriculture I would very much like to see the government act to ensure that Wales’ farmers are not unfairly undermined by imports produced to environmental and animal welfare standards which would be illegal here. I very much want 2020 to be the year in which the UK Government signals its commitment to upholding high standards of production, by setting up a council on trade and standards which can advise Ministers on future trade policy, and help ensure our high standards are upheld, not undermined in any future trade deals.”
Andrew RT Davies, the Conservatives’ Senedd spokesperson on agriculture who claimed Welsh farmers would not lose a single of penny of funding throughout 2016’s referendum campaign, said: “This commitment is a down payment on the Welsh Conservatives’ Westminster manifesto pledge to guarantee funding for the farming community during the lifetime of this UK Parliament (2024).”
Mr Davies continued: “It’s now high time that the tired Welsh Labour Government in Cardiff Bay raised its game and started to deliver for the rural economy of Wales, something they have spectacularly failed to do for 20 years of devolution.”
Plaid Cymru has accused the Tory Westminster Government of “a cynical rehash” in response to the UK Chancellor once again announcing that the same level of funding for the Basic Payment Scheme will continue for 2020.
But while the allocation for farming subsidy is similar to that of 2019, the UK Government has not committed to providing the extra 15% of funding which the Welsh Government has been transferring to its Rural Development fund.
Responding to the announcement, Plaid Cymru’s Westminster Group Leader, Liz Saville Roberts MP said: “This announcement is a cynical rehash of funding promised to Wales last year by the Tories.
“It does not make up for the years of uncertainty Welsh farmers have had to face due to Brexit, and it does not take the disastrous prospect of ‘no deal’ off the table.
“These payments are a lifeline for Wales’s agricultural sector and they must be protected by all means if the industry is to survive.
Llyr Gruffydd AM, Plaid Cymru’s Rural Affairs spokesperson in the Senedd added: “The Chancellor needs to urgently clarify that the £45million shortfall will be made up in full.”
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