NFU Cymru calls for £500m Welsh farming budget

NFU Cymru is appealing to whomever is in power in Westminster from 5 July to allocate over £500 million annually to Welsh agriculture.

In its 2024 Westminster general election manifesto, published yesterday (6 July), the Welsh farming union has set out its funding requests to the next UK government, which will decide Wales’s overall agriculture budget.

NFU Cymru states that a budget of over £500 million annually is needed to take account of inflation and to help ensure that the Welsh farming industry’s ambitions for food, nature and climate can be met.

And the union asks the next UK government to ring-fence its multi-annual agricultural budget through to the next election.

In addition, it wants a commitment from Westminster to look afresh at the budgetary allocation provided to support UK agriculture in order to restore its real terms value which has been significantly eroded by inflation.

NFU Cymru says it urges all those seeking election next month to read its manifesto, which covers a range of issues, including funding for agriculture, climate change, food security, UK biosecurity, third country trade deals, EU relations, labour on farm and rural crime.

Commenting on the publication, NFU Cymru President Aled Jones said: “Although agriculture has been devolved to Cardiff for a quarter of a century, aside from the budget, there are a number of important policy areas reserved to Westminster which impact directly and indirectly on the industry which we have also focused on in our 2024 General Election manifesto.

“Food production and food security must be given the priority they deserve in this country. There are a number of policy levers related to food security which will sit in the hands of the next UK Government, and it is vital that we put steps in place to make sure we are a food-secure nation.”

He added: “These include addressing imbalances in the food supply chain, strengthening country of origin labelling and revisiting the powers of the Groceries Code Adjudicator. We must also properly understand the impacts on domestic producers of trade deals entered into with third countries and ensure that these deals are balanced and fair.

“NFU Cymru is committed to working with candidates of all parties as they seek the endorsement of the electorate over the next few weeks. After the election, NFU Cymru is committed to working positively and constructively with whoever forms the next government in order to help ensure we have a thriving agricultural sector and rural economy.”