Last month I wrote about the impact of rising energy costs on families struggling to heat their homes. The same crisis is now hitting our farming communities just as hard, and the farmers I am speaking to are deeply concerned about what lies ahead.

Since February, red diesel has nearly doubled in price, rising from around 69p a litre to over £1.15 in some cases. Welsh farms are heavily reliant on it, and some suppliers have already begun rationing deliveries. The bills are increasing, squeezing margins and further eroding Welsh farming incomes.

The responsibility for this sits squarely with Donald Trump. His illegal war in Iran triggered the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway through which around a quarter of the world's seaborne oil trade normally flows. The International Energy Agency has described what followed as the largest supply disruption in the history of global oil markets. It is worth remembering that Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage both supported Trump’s actions, while our farmers were left to bear the cost.

Fuel is only part of the picture. Fertiliser costs are climbing too. Farm incomes were already under serious pressure before any of this began. Families who have worked the same land for generations are now running the numbers and finding the maths simply does not add up.

I have written to ministers calling for an urgent cut to fuel duty and meaningful support for agricultural businesses. But disappointingly, when the Prime Minister was pressed on this in Parliament, he acknowledged that farm fuel costs had doubled, yet offered no support.

Rural communities cannot keep being treated as an afterthought. I will not stop pressing the Government until our farmers get the support they deserve.

If I can be of assistance at any time, please contact me at [email protected] or on 01792 316380.