Welsh Government press conference on farming reform, 21 September 2021: transcript

Key points

• The Agricultural Bill delivery plan sets key milestones, and an outline of the Sustainable Farming Scheme is due next year.
• More than £66 million is announced to extend the Glastir scheme, which covers over 1.3 million hectares of Welsh farmland.
• The UK Government must replace EU funding in full; Wales has already seen a £137 million reduction this year.
• The new farming scheme will not start until January 2025 and will reward environmental outcomes such as soil and water quality, flood mitigation and carbon storage.
• The Minister is closely monitoring the CO2 shortage affecting abattoirs and wants long-term planning from the UK Government.
• A firebreak over October half term is not on the table at present, but cabinet keeps the situation under review.

Chapters

1. 0:41Agricultural Bill and environmental ambitions
2. 3:08Glastir extension and delivery plan
3. 5:08Demand that UK Government replaces EU funding
4. 7:01Questions on reform pace and farm payments
5. 12:13CO2 supply and food supply chain
6. 13:33Cost of living and support for families
7. 15:57Covid firebreak and funding backup plan
8. 18:12Ambulance service and rural communities
9. 21:27Sustainable Farming Scheme payment rates and timeline

Full transcript

0:41Hey. This afternoon in the Senedd, I will be outlining the timetable and our ambitions for the Agricultural Bill, which will secure the resilience of the Welsh farming sector, as well as our rural communities and our natural environment, they help to sustain. As we respond to the global climate and nature emergencies together, it is more important than ever that we ensure the best practice in sustainable food production, which has earned Welsh produce a global reputation mewn gwirionedd yn cael ei wneud gwirionedd yn cael eu gwirionedd yn cael gwirionedd yn y sektor.

1:16This government has put the environment and addressing the climate and nature emergencies at the heart of everything we do. Protecting nature and reducing the amount of carbon we use and produce will help us all. It will boost our health, benefit our economy and preserve our beautiful country. Welsh farmers are the custodians of a huge amount of our country's land. ac os ydych chi'n ei wneud â'r target o'r cyflawni gwahanol o'r net-zero by 2050, rydyn ni'n mynd i'w gweithio gyda'n gweithio.

1:50Nid y cwrs o'r Billig Agricultural, yw'r newydd o ddodau fferm, sy'n mynd i'r pwyntio'r pwyntio'n ddodol ar gyfer ffermau. Mae'r pwyntio ffermau ffermau ffermiau ffermau ffermwyr, sy'n ymwneud â'r rhaid i'n gweithio'r rhaid i'r cyflwyno i'r cyflwyno a'r cyflwyno'r cyflwyno'n gweithio'n cyflwyno'r biodiversiol. Mae'n ymwneudol iawn o'r hyn sy'n cael ei wneud yn yng Nghymru. Ymwneud y gwaith, roeddwn wedi'i cyflwyno'r fferm Slade yn y Vail o Glamorgan, fferm Trisymwyn yn y Gwydwit, Pembrokesir, a fferm Pendra yn Ceredigion, i weld rhai o'r gweithio'r gwaith sy'n ei wneud i wneud ymwneud â'r ymwneudol a'r ymwneud â'n ymwneudol.

2:34Mae'r Blynyddoedd, sy'n cael ymwneud â'u newid ymwneudol ymwneudol sy'n cael ei wneud yn ymwneudol o'r fyrdd ymwneudol. It will be a significant change for the sector since leaving the European Union, but it does also represent the next major step in our agricultural reforms to help Welsh farms and for farming sustainable. Wales needs to increase woodland creation to tackle climate change, but we want to do this in a way which retains local ownership and maximises the benefits to local economies.

3:08Farmers have a crucial role to play in planting trees. This creates potential new sources of income and green jobs in rural Wales. To further support our environmental ambitions, I've also announced more than £66 million to be made available through an extension of our Glassteer scheme. More than 1.3 million hectares of Welsh agricultural land comes under a Glassteer contract, delivering a range of environmental benefits from habitat restoration to safeguarding our soil and water resources this extension will help us further understand the impact and contribution Glastea makes and will contribute to the development of the future sustainable farming scheme Returning to the Agricultural Bill, to provide clarity to our farmers and the wider sector, I am publishing a delivery plan which sets out the key milestones.

4:05Next year, I will publish an outline of the new sustainable farming scheme, which will include the actions we are proposing farmers will be asked to undertake, such as animal health planning, the sustainable use of medicines, and good biosecurity. Mae'r hynny'n gweithio i sicrhau bod ni'n gweithio bod ni'n gweithredol a'r ffordd yng Nghymru yng Nghymru yn Cymru. Rydym yn gweithio'n gweithio gyda'n ffermwyr a sicrhau bod nhw'n gweithio'n ddysgu fel y scheme ddysgu ddysgu a'r ffynolol.

4:36Mae'n gweithio'r ffynol ar y scheme yng Nghymru 2023. Rydym yn gweithiol gyda'r ffermwyr yng Nghymru ddysgu yng Nghymru ddefnyddio ar gyfer yng Nghymru, sy'n ei wneud yn Yn Yn Yn Yn 25. Mae'n rhaid i'n ei wneud gyda'r Scheme Basi Cymru fins y 2023, gyda'r Gwyddoedd Cymru'n Gwyddoedd Gwyddoedd Cymryddoedd Cymru. Mae hynny'n rhoi cymdeithas i'r ffermwyr fel rydyn ni'n mynd i'r ffermwys newydd ffermwysig.

5:08We have been absolutely clear the UK Government must replace EU funding in full and support Welsh farmers and our rural communities. This means the UK Government must reverse its approach to replacing EU funding in the UK and its plans to deduct Wales existing EU funding which has already been committed to priority projects. Mae'r ymwneud â'r ymwneud ymwneud â'n ymwneud â ymwneud â'u cymdeithasol yn ymwneud â'i cymdeithasol o'r cymdeithasol yng Nghymru yng Nghymru yn yr ymwneud â nhw'n ymwneudol.

5:45Yn ymwneud â'ch gwestiynau, rydw i ddweud rhywbeth am ymwneud â Farming Connect. Rydw i wedi'u cymdeithas ymwneud â phobl ymwneud â'l progrannu ymwneud â March 2023, ac rwy'n wneud bod hynny'n ddodol i'r sector. Mae Cymru'n gweithio cymdeithasol bwysig iawn i mewn gwirioneddol o ffermwyr a ffermwyr yng Nghymru yng Nghymru, helpu'n gweithio newydd newydd a'n gweithio ffordd mewn gwirioneddol a'r ffordd yn gweithio. O'r ffermwyr yn gweithio'r ffermwyr a'r ffermwyr yng nghymru, rydw i wedi gweld y cymdeithasol ffermwyr Cymru yng Nghymru'n gweithio yng Nghymru, ac rydw i'n meddwl am ymwneud â'r ffermwyr ffermwyr.

6:26This is a very difficult and worrying time for our farmers. Leaving the European Union has resulted in many challenges for our agricultural sector, and combined with our stretching climate change targets, we need to change the way we do things. By working together, we can secure a successful future for our rural communities and the wider agricultural industry. I would also like to take this opportunity to again thank the industry for its hard work during the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring food production and management of the land continued.

7:01So thank you very much, Dirkham Bauriaun, and I'm happy to take questions from journalists. And the first one is Stefan Messenger from the BBC. Afternoon, Minister. Thank you very much. So in a new subsidy scheme from 2025, almost 10 years since we left the EU, do you accept that Wales is lagging behind when it comes to agricultural reform, given the situation in England and the advances that are already happening there?

7:32No, I certainly don't think we're lagging behind. I mean, many of the things that we're proposing, and I'm saying this should be standard practice, best practice, are already being done. By many of our farmers right across Wales. So the new sustainable farming scheme will reward those active farmers who are doing those things already. So, you know, that excellent soil quality we see, the water quality, the drought and flood mitigation work that's being done across the country. And, you know, the carbon storage that we need to have done. Much of that is already being done by our farmers but not being rewarded. So the new sustainable farming scheme will ensure that they are rewarded for those environmental outcomes that we need as part of the climate and nature emergencies. And I have to say, you know, the agricultural sector itself absolutely believes it's part of the solution. Thank you. And just for my second question, I wondered in relation to the talks between yourselves and Plaid Cymru about cooperating on certain issues in the Senate. Obviously, we know Plaid's views on the future direction of

8:33farm subsidies differ from yours. They want an element of direct payments to be retained. Do you anticipate the talks with Ply changing or affecting your plans in any way? Well, obviously those talks are ongoing, so we'll await the outcome of those. We can now turn to Debbie James from Farmers Weekly. Good afternoon. I'm just wondering, are you happy with the level of modelling that's been done regarding the phasing out of the BPS and what that will mean for farmers? So a great deal of work has already been undertaken. I think we've engaged with about 2000 farmers over the last year or so. I think we perhaps would have liked to have engaged with more, but I'm sure you will appreciate the pandemic has impacted that. But I'm certainly happy with the level of modelling that's been undertaken to date. That will obviously continue. We're doing economic analysis. I've made it very, very clear. We will not bring in any new scheme until we're absolutely ready for it. I set out the timeline.

9:34in my opening remarks but it is really important and again I said this we must continue to listen to farmers to make sure the scheme is correct it is a long piece of work it's a complex piece of work I think it's important we take the time to get it right. Okay and do you think Welsh farmers have relied too heavily on the BPS? I think in many discussions with farmers many of them will have said that they have relied on it, but also that it perhaps hasn't made the industry as competitive as it could have done. So I think it is really important that that's recognised and as I say, I do think many of the farmers I talk to do recognise that. I remember when I first came into post just a month before the EU referendum and then obviously having the referendum to leave the European, having Having that discussion with farmers, and I think, Debbie, you were probably, you know, at a few of the talks I did, where I said, it's really important you educate the public. I don't think the public recognise the incredible work farmers do to ensure we have food on our plates. I think it has been highlighted, certainly, during the pandemic. I think that's one thing that has been absolutely shown. And, you know, the Welsh farming sector ensured we had food on our plates. Nobody went without food in Wales. We had that, you know,

10:53ymwneud â'r ymwneud â'n ymwneud. Felly rydw i'n meddwl bod yw'n gweithio gyda'r sector, fel rydw i'n dweud. Mae llawer o'n ymwneud â'u llawer o'r ymwneudol sy'n ei wneud, ond rydyn ni'n cael ei wneud. Felly rydyn ni'n ymwneud ymwneud â Adrian Masters, o'r ITV Wales. Diolch, Minister. Dwi'n dweud bod yw'r ymwneud yw'r gweithio, neu'r gweithio yw'n ymwneudio, yn ymwneud â'r cymdeithasol yn ymwneud â phobl yn ymwneud â nhw'r cymdeithasodol. Ydych chi'n ei ddweud beth sydd wedi cael ei wneud â'r treasuriol ymwneud â'n ymwneud â'i gwneud ymwneud â'u gwneud yn ymwneud â ymwneud â'ch wneud ymwneud ymwneudol?

11:30Dwi'n meddwl, mae hynny'n ymwneud yn ymwneid yn ymwneud â Rebeca Evans ymwneudol a'i cymdeithasodol yn ymwneudol. Ond rwy'n credu, mae'n rhaid i wedi'i gweithio ar gyfer ymwneud yn ôl. With the Minister to ensure she is very aware of our concerns. I mentioned that this year alone we've seen a reduction of 137 million pounds. If you remember the UK Government told us we would not lose a penny and that is what we are telling them they must come forward with. It's really important again that we all work together to make sure we've received that funding but clearly the Welsh Government hasn't got that funding to make up the shortfall so it is imperative the UK Government sticks to its word and we get that funding.

12:13Thank you. And a separate subject, which is to do with the concerns around the problems with gas supply and particularly CO2 supply for the meat industry. What concerns do you as a government have? What actions are you as a Welsh government taking to try to ensure that those supplies continue? And that feeds in, if you'll forgive the pun, into the supply chain more generally. but what action is the government taking to make sure that shelves don't get stripped?

12:44You raise a very, very important point and obviously this is something that we're closely monitoring. There is a massive animal health and welfare issue here if our abattoirs aren't able to process the meat in the way that we normally go about our business. I think you're absolutely right, it shows the interconnection we have in our food supply chain. And it is, you know, since we left the European Union, we can't rely on Europe to make up that shortfall of CO2, for instance. So there are discussions. I know my colleague, the Minister for Climate Change, met with the base Secretary of State yesterday evening. It's something that we are absolutely closely monitoring. I'm meeting with the retailers tomorrow to listen to their concerns. This has been building up now over several weeks.

13:33and we need the uk government really to start doing some long-term planning i think we haven't seen long-term planning what we have seen uh from the uk government for for many many months if not years now is those short-term slogans they need to be doing some long-term planning so we now go to ruth molasky from wales online can i ask what is was government doing to ensure that wales's poorest families aren't going to be impacted by the rise in energy prices and again i think we are approaching a cost of living crisis. If you think about it you mentioned energy prices, there's clearly rising food prices, our national insurance contributions are also rising.

14:17We know that the UK government are at this time, which is quite unbelievable, taking away the £20 universal credit top-up. They're turning off furlough. So you can see we are, I think, in a perfect storm. What we will continue to do, and I visited the discretionary fund allowance, which happens to be in my own constituency in Wrexham, but the Welsh Government scheme, and they were telling me the significant numbers of people they are unfortunately seeing accessing that allowance so we will continue to work with with the scheme to make sure that people are able to access money very quickly they turn around the allowance contributions very very quickly obviously my colleague the Minister for Social Justice is doing some amazing work with our food banks which unfortunately are needed because we know again we are seeing an increase in the number of people using food banks so it is about supporting where we can but you will appreciate the UK government hold the majority of those levers.

15:17Sorry, I do have a second question. Can I just push you there specifically on a few things that Welsh Government is going to do for families? You know, there'll be a lot of people very concerned at the minute hearing the headlines. So what are the sort of practical things that Welsh Government is doing? And then I do have a second question if I can. Well, I mentioned a few of the schemes. I was just saying I visited the allowance scheme on Friday. We are continuing to make sure that there is funding in that. That funding has increased over the past two or three years. I think it was about £7 million five years ago, and it's now trebled. So we are making sure we've got funding into that. But you will appreciate the benefits system is for the UK government to deal with.

15:57Thank you very much. And can I ask on coronavirus, you've previously said that a firebreak in relation to October half term is off the table. Is the current rising cases, does that mean that that may well be back on that discussion table and is that something Cabinet are talking about at the moment? Not at the current time, but you will appreciate it is a very, very fluid and quick moving situation. And obviously as a cabinet, we meet at least twice a week, if not more, so it could be something that would come back on the table, but at the current time it isn't.

16:28Thank you very much. We now go to Ellen Llewellyn from Femmio. Nanda, following on from Adrian's question in a way, is there a plan B if UK Government doesn't provide you with the funding that you need to maintain BPS and velocity of payments for the next two years? Well, as I said, they promised that we wouldn't lose a penny and we are holding them to that. The Welsh Government does not have that funding within its budget, but obviously I have discussions with the Minister for Finance about my entire budget, which obviously this is a part of.

17:03Thank you. And a second question. How closely are you following England and Scotland's plans for support after BPS to ensure there's a level playing field for farmers all across the UK? So the modelling work we're doing in relation to the Sustainable Farming Scheme is we are ensuring that every farm and every farmer can apply for that funding within that new scheme. And I've made it very clear that that scheme won't be put in place until we're absolutely ready to go. So that engagement with stakeholders, with our farmers, is really important that that continues.

17:34We've had three consultations, as you know, around this new farming scheme. First started Brexit in our land back in 2018, I think it was. Then we had a further consultation and then obviously the white paper last December. And I've been very pleased to publish the responses to the white paper today. So we have engaged a great deal, but it's really important that our economic analysis and all the modelling we do ensures that every farmer in Wales will be able to apply for funding from that scheme. And that there'll be a level playing field across the United Kingdom then with Scotland and English farmers as well in terms of what their schemes deliver.

18:12Well, you know, it's called devolution, isn't it? So each country will have its own bespoke agricultural policy, which is absolutely right. And, you know, I remember saying this five years ago, I don't think you will see a huge amount of diversion between the, you know, the different countries. but I think certainly as we go forward I actually think we've got an advantage I think our consultations And I think if you look at the fantastic Welsh food and drink we have here in Wales and the produce that our agricultural sector brings forward, it absolutely shows that. Thank you, Minister. Good afternoon. Can I turn to the Welsh Ambulance Service? We are expecting them to ask the military for assistance as we run up to a busy period and the next wave of coronavirus, given the usual pressures that happen in rural communities when it comes to ambulance response times are rural communities and a dangerous position at the moment well we know of the severe pressure our

19:13ambulance system is under and you know we should pay tribute I think to our amazing ambulance and of course all our NHS staff who are working and continuing to work in unprecedented times I think we need to look at and in relation to to ambulance times is if you look ahead of the COVID-19 pandemic they were hitting their targets every call they have to take now they have to do it in a COVID secure way they have to put PPE on that takes probably five minutes so it's bound to have an an impact on the response times.

19:44But of course, clearly where you live obviously has an impact to how far away the ambulance is from you. But I think it's really important to make sure our rural communities aren't disaffected. And I'd say before the COVID-19 pandemic, I certainly don't think they were, but we are living in very difficult times. And I think, you know, the ambulance service are under the same pressures as everyone. They've got staff off, particularly with COVID, they've got people isolating i think we just have to recognize that it's people must think very carefully ahead of ringing for an ambulance is it the most appropriate way forward and this is a plea really to everyone can i just push on that minister are rural communities in a more dangerous position than say compared to someone who lives in the city at the moment well it you know it depends where the ambulance is when it gets called as to how long it takes to go there but what i was trying to explain was it's really important people think about uh phoning for an ambulance do they need an ambulance is it the right uh you know motor transport for them to get to where they need to go i've explained the reasons why the um waiting times are a bit longer and clearly

20:49it depends how far the ambulance is from you when you make that call and just going back to the co2 shortage you mentioned about the talks that you're having with the uk government on this but is there any direct action that the welsh government are taking on this in the short term Well, because our supply chain is so interlinked, we do look to the UK government, who obviously have the levers to do this. We are working with the abattoirs to make sure they're aware of the risks, obviously, and it could have an impact, as I say, on animal health and welfare, which is clearly of great concern to us.

21:27So really, we do need to look to the UK government to start doing a bit of long-term planning around this and what is going to happen. So those discussions with the UK government are ongoing. Finally, if we can turn to Abby Kay from the Farmers Guardian. Thank you, Minister. The first question is on payment rates for the sustainable farming scheme. When can we expect to see what they are and can you shed a bit of light on the methodology that you're using to calculate them? Well, as I said, you know, the actual scheme won't be introduced until January 2025.

22:00So at the moment, what we're concentrating on is setting up the scheme, looking at the modelling, looking at the economic analysis. So I can't give you, you know, a set price for what they will be. What I have said is the things that will be paid for out of that scheme. So those environmental outcomes, those public goods, and you know, I mentioned several examples before water quality, soil quality, drought and flood risk mitigation, carbon storage. So many of the things that farmers are already producing, but are not getting rewarded for.

22:32So we're still several years away from hearing about payment rates. As I say, yes, it won't come in until January 2025. There is a long way to go yet. I have set out the time scale for it. The most important thing is we get the scheme up and running and we don't go from the basic payment scheme till the sustainable farming scheme until it's absolutely ready. Thank you. And just to push on the question from Stefan, have you accepted the argument from farming unions that some element of stability payment will be needed under the new scheme? Is that something you're anticipating?

23:09No, I don't think so. I think, you know, as we progress with the sustainable farming scheme, I hope that, you know, everyone will realise that this is the most appropriate way forward. It's not set in stone, as I say, we haven't designed that fully yet. What is really important is that the farming unions continue to have discussions with us about the design of the scheme. I've made very clear it will be a co-design. We can't do it on our own. It's really important it fits in to the agricultural sector. So those discussions will be ongoing with our stakeholders. I mentioned we've spoken to 2,000 farmers.

23:40I would have hoped it would have been a few more by now, but you will appreciate the pandemic had a significant impact on the amount of contact we had last year, but we've certainly increased it and it is ongoing. Thank you very much.

Source and licence

Recording: File:Cynhadledd i'r Wasg fyw Live Press Conference 21.09.2021.webm by Senedd (2021-09-21), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY 3.0.

The transcript is machine speech-to-text by the TidyTools Audio & video transcriber; the summary, key points and chapters were written by Claude from that transcript. Both may contain errors: check the recording before quoting it.