Members of the Senedd representing Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd got to see sustainable food production in action as part of an on-farm event organised by NFU Cymru to mark Welsh Farming Week.

David Mills MS and James Evans MS, both Reform UK, visited Hendre Farm in Felindre, Knighton, on Friday, July 3, as part of a series of MS engagement events being held across Wales by NFU Cymru during its fifth annual Welsh Farming Week campaign.

The on-farm meetings were arranged to give MSs insight into the day-to-day work of Welsh farmers and the role they play in feeding the nation, whilst also caring for and enhancing their local environment.

During the visit to Hendre Farm, host farmer Edward Harris provided the MSs with an overview of the working farm and explained the intricacies of the present Sustainable Farming Scheme and the complex nature of the Universal Actions.

Sat around the table, it was evident that productive, active farmers must comply with a huge number of regulations, just for one scheme. Grappling with cross-border issues and the bureaucratic nightmare of keeping abreast of different rules between two nations was also a challenge.

NFU Cymru Brecon and Radnor County Chair Edward Harris said: "I was pleased to welcome David and James to the farm today and give them the opportunity to see for themselves the length and breadth of work we are doing here on farms in Brecon and Radnor. In particular, I welcomed the chance to explain the practical issues with trying to design a scheme to suit all areas of Wales, across all sectors with different growing seasons. The scheme has to be more flexible and less complex.

“On-farm meetings like this provide such valuable engagement for us at NFU Cymru, allowing us to continue dialogue with returning MSs or cultivate relationships with those MSs who have been newly elected. These opportunities also provide the perfect platform for our members to illustrate how they are delivering for the people and communities of Wales, whether that be food production, environmental management or boosting the local economy. Likewise, the backdrop of the farm can bring the challenges that our members are facing into full focus.

"I'm very grateful to David and James for making the time to join us today. As Members of the Senedd discuss and vote on devolved policy areas affecting Welsh farms over the course of the next Senedd term, I very much hope that both representatives continue the positive dialogue we've enjoyed at this meeting and continue to support the efforts of their constituents and the wider industry."