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Opposition politicians called on the Welsh Government to bring forward a final, binding vote before introducing revised plans for financial support for farmers.

Samuel Kurtz, the Conservatives’ shadow rural affairs secretary, led a debate on the protest-plagued proposals for the sustainable farming scheme (SFS) on July 16.

He said: “Today, we’re simply asking that this Senedd be given the opportunity to vote: a final, binding vote on the sustainable farming scheme before it is implemented. We all remember last year’s protests. We know the strength of feeling across the country.

“A scheme of this scale, affecting over 80% of Wales’ land, must carry democratic legitimacy. Let us vote. Let the elected members of this chamber, from every corner of Wales and from every party, have their say.”

‘Broken’

Mr Kurtz told the Senedd: “If ministers want farmers to sign up, they need to rebuild trust. That starts with transparency. And the way you secure consent is by putting this scheme to a full, binding vote in this chamber.”

The former journalist, who is from a farming family, warned of a “cliff-edge” in the transition from the basic payment scheme (BPS), which is set to fall by 40%, to the SFS.

He said: “With such a steep drop, they’re either being forced into a scheme they may not fully believe in or are forced away from farm subsidies altogether, subsidies that keep Welsh farms afloat, and food prices down.

“And if you don’t join the SFS, you forfeit your BPS. If you do join the SFS, you forfeit your BPS entitlements. There’s no going back… for you and your business. Is it any wonder anxiety is soaring? Is it any surprise that our farmers’ mental health is deteriorating?”

He accused the Welsh and UK Governments of having disregard for farmers, warning of a “broken” relationship with rural Wales.

‘Public goods’

Plaid Cymru’s Llŷr Gruffydd said it was only right that the Senedd should have an opportunity to have its say on the SFS, so his party would support the Conservative motion.

Labour’s Lesley Griffiths, a former rural affairs minister, said: “It is vital any new subsidy payments… work not just for the agricultural sector but for the Welsh taxpayer too.

“Public goods for public money and payment for things you cannot buy elsewhere: enhanced habitat management, enhanced woodland management, improved soil health – all alongside sustainable land management objectives.”

She was extremely disappointed to see Welsh ministers cut a target of 43,000 hectares of new woodland by more than 60%, with plans for 10% tree cover on every farm ditched.

Peter Fox, a Tory council leader-turned Senedd Member, said he was planning to retire as a farmer having “just about had enough”, with the new SFS “still laden with bureaucracy”.

‘Mucky’

“Most farmers just want to farm,” he said. “They want to produce food and they want to look after their farm… but the priority in this SFS is clearly no longer food production.”

Labour’s Lee Waters warned the debate around farming has been dragged into “culture wars”, with divisions heightened by political debate.

He said it feels like farming unions are fixated on a grievance narrative that opposition parties seek to amplify, becoming the political wing of the farming unions.

The former minister told Senedd Members: “I’ve stopped attending union meetings on farms. The farming unions are the only groups I’ve come across who think effective engagement involves inviting a local representative to meet a group of men to be shouted at.

“To be fair, the tactics did vary a bit: sometimes, I was shouted at in a cold, mucky yard –  sometimes, I was shouted at in the warm, over tea and lovely Welsh cakes.”

‘Unserious’

Mr Waters said farming funding, which was protected while the UK was in the EU, now needs to make its case within the Welsh budget alongside health and education.

He stressed: “Wales now receives less money – £1bn less. That’s what Brexit has meant. Now, I’m not sure how people who voted for Wales to get less money now argue that we should spend even more on farming support. This is unserious.”

Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies said Senedd Members would get an opportunity to vote on regulations related to payment rates underpinning the scheme in the autumn.

“You can have your say then,” he said. “If you do not like the design of the scheme, if you want to force more delay, if you want to force more uncertainty on the farming community, good luck to you because they will not thank you.”

In the final vote before the Welsh Parliament breaks for summer recess, Senedd Members voted narrowly, 22-20, against the opposition motion.