NFU Cymru Deputy President Abi Reader has highlighted issues facing the industry with Plaid Cymru MSs, Rhun ap Iorwerth and Llyr Gruffydd.

Abi took the opportunity during a meeting on her farm to discuss a number of issues currently facing the farming sector.

One of the main issues up for discussion were Welsh Government’s water quality regulations and how concerns previously expressed by NFU Cymru in relation to the new rules are being borne out on farms across Wales, in particular the ‘farming by calendar’ approach.

She said: “With the statutory review due to report by the end of next month, I very much hope it will be the opportunity to deliver a more proportionate and achievable set of regulations that address water quality where it is shown to be needed. This includes not only the ‘farming by calendar’ approach (through perhaps making use of new technology), to a root and branch review of the current record keeping requirements and a thorough review of the current planning and regulatory regime.”

The Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) was also high on the agenda, with Welsh Government having published its updated proposals for the SFS at the end of 2024, and NFU Cymru having run a series of roadshow events to gather member views during December.

Ms Reader said: “A lot of progress has been made on the SFS, but there is still a long way to go on scheme detail and crucially payment rates, but whether farmers decide to participate or not will depend on the financial attractiveness of the scheme. There has to be sufficient budget which must find its way down to farmers, and this is particularly so when it comes to the Universal layer of the scheme, this is the element which provides stability, and it must be well resourced.

“There must be a willingness on the part of Welsh Government to amend the scheme if assessment shows certain sectors or areas stand to be impacted adversely disproportionately. I would also ask Welsh Government to look again at their decision not let hedges count towards the 10% habitat requirement.”

She also took the opportunity to discuss with Rhun and Llyr, the new basis upon which future changes to agricultural support funding from Westminster to Cardiff will be calculated.

She said: “The UK Government has stated that future funding uplifts to agricultural support funding from the Treasury to Wales will be calculated using the Barnett formula, rather than by use of the historic allocation. The historic allocation was fairer as it took account of the relative levels of agricultural production amongst the UK home nations.”

Ms Reader also related her own first-hand experience of TB on farm, including the challenges of getting the disease out of the herd and stopping it getting back in, saying: “Farmers abide by strict rules and protocols to keep disease out, but we still have hundreds of farm businesses under bTB restrictions and a deteriorating picture with a record 12,278 cattle slaughtered in the 12 months to September 2024.”