CROWDS are gathering at the Royal Welsh Show at Llanelwedd – the last before Britain exits the European Union.
Debate around the impact of Brexit on the agricultural industry is likely to dominate discussion at the showground, near Builth Wells, with Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones in attendance. It is the last show the man whose first ministerial appointment was as rural affairs minister will attend as First Minister before stepping down in December.
Farmers from all over Wales enjoyed what has been described as a "constructive" meeting with the Welsh Government’s cabinet secretary Lesley Griffiths ahead of the show on Sunday. It focussed on the recently launched Welsh Government consultation on a replacement for EU subsidies to farming.
Ms Griffiths is also at the show on Monday, holding yet more meetings with farmers.
Farmers’ Union of Wales President Glyn Roberts said: “This was a constructive meeting and we have raised numerous concerns about what is being proposed in this consultation document and our members have been quite outspoken about some of the proposals.
“We also discussed funding and the possibility of direct support being a thing of the past and highlighted the worry the current weather conditions are still having on fodder. We therefore were pleased to hear that our call for a summit has now been heeded.
“I look forward to consult further with our members all over Wales to ensure that the voice of our Family farms across Wales is heard loud and clear in Cardiff Bay and am hopeful that we can find a positive way forward to secure the immediate and long term future of our industry in terms of fodder supplies, trade deals and frameworks.”
The Welsh Conservatives have meanwhile called for early payment of EU direct payment subsidies, in October, to help Welsh farmers cope with the effects of the prolonged dry spell.
The party’s former Welsh leader, now rural affairs spokesman, Andrew RT Davies said: “This summer is on course to be one of the driest every recorded.
“Over the coming months, farmers across Wales are going to be placed under significant strain by the extreme weather.
the Welsh Government can now do something both concrete and immediate that will provide real help to Wales’ farming community – bring forward payment scheme funds from December to October.
“This would help farmers cover the cost of animal feed and would assist with their winter cash flow.
“A Welsh Government promise to open the Basic Payment Scheme window in October would be a huge shot in arm for the entire farming community in Wales as it battles the effects of this exceptional summer.”