The Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) and NFU Cymru have urged the next Welsh Government to deliver a “fair, forward-looking” budget that supports Welsh agriculture and rural communities.

Speaking at a joint fringe event during Plaid Cymru’s Spring Conference at the ICC Newport, the unions highlighted what they described as more than a decade of stagnation in the agricultural budget. They warned that funding has failed to keep pace with rising costs, increasing regulation, and environmental obligations.

The unions said that if overall funding had kept pace with inflation over the past 13 years, the agricultural budget would now exceed £500 million, highlighting what they see as a growing gap between current allocations and the sector’s needs.

NFU Cymru President Abi Reader outlined the union’s key manifesto calls for a multi-year, ring-fenced budget to support sustainable growth.

“Welsh farmers must not be expected to do more for less. The next government must commit to providing a ring-fenced, multi-annual budget that matches our ambitions for the sustainable growth of the sector,” she said.

“This funding must underpin the financial resilience of our family farms and rural communities, while working in harmony with our environmental and climate obligations. We are calling for a budget in excess of £500 million per annum, with the majority of funding directed towards stability, productivity and efficiency gains on farm.”

She continued: “We also call on the next Welsh Government to challenge the UK Government to ensure that future uplifts to agricultural support funding fairly reflect Wales’ needs, rather than being constrained by the limitations of the Barnett formula.”

The calls were echoed during the session by the FUW’s Senedd and Parliamentary Officer, George Lewes, who stressed that the next Welsh Government must also strengthen budgetary support for the forthcoming Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS). He further argued that the transition to the new framework represents a significant structural shift for farm businesses and must be underpinned by adequate, long-term financial backing to ensure its success.

“If we are to deliver on food security, climate and biodiversity goals, the scheme must be backed by a budget that matches those expectations,” he said.

The fringe event, which was chaired by Llyr Gruffydd MS, Plaid Cymru’s Agriculture and Rural Affairs spokesperson ,also provided an opportunity for the unions to outline their wider shared ambitions for the sector ahead of the Senedd election. These included reducing on-farm bureaucracy, delivering a science-led and properly resourced strategy to eradicate bovine TB, and addressing ongoing concerns surrounding NVZ regulations and the unintended consequences they continue to create for family farms.

FUW President, Ian Rickman said: “Both unions have emphasised that alongside fair and sustained funding, meaningful regulatory reform and practical, evidence-based policies are essential to safeguarding the viability and long-term sustainability of Welsh agriculture.”

“Ahead of the Senedd election, we look forward to continuing constructive engagement with all parties to ensure these priorities are delivered for the benefit of our farmers, rural communities, and the wider Welsh economy,” he added.