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Peredur Owen Griffiths, who represents Plaid Cymru, is one of four regional Senedd Members serving the South Wales East region.
It was great to be back at the Royal Welsh for the first time in a few years due to the hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Even with the sun beating down on the glorious show ground at Llanwelwedd -making anywhere in the shade a premium spot – it was wonderful to be there to see all the sights, sounds and people that make this such a special occasion.
It is also an important time for local businesses to showcase their products and make some new customers. One of the mainstays of the festival for many years has been Minoli’s of Machen. Located just off the Main Ring at the showground, their shop was predictably busy as people flocked to cool down in the baking heat with a tasty treat. If you haven’t tried their award-wining ice cream at their Basil and Rusty’s ice cream parlour then you are missing out – it really is that good. Not only that, but the parlour is also set in a picturesque and tranquil spot just off the main road between Trethomas and Machen. We are lucky to have it on our doorsteps.
The visit to Basil and Rusty’s provided a welcome and brief diversion from the extremely serious situation facing farmers in Wales over the coming months and years. I spoke to a number of farmers who fear for their future over the regulations that the Labour Government are introducing in phases to replace the former Nitrate Vulnerable Zones or ‘NVZs’ that applied to 2.4% of the territory of Wales. A new All Wales approach encompassing nitrates, phosphates and ammonia is predicted to cost the agriculture industry as much as £813 million over 20 years in order for farms to be compliant. The capital works alone for farms are estimated to come in at £360m.
It is no wonder then that some farmers are saying they will be forced out of the industry that has been their livelihood and their way of life for them and the generations of family that came before them. This was what I have been hearing in conversations with farmers – not just at the Royal Welsh Show but over the course of my first year as a Senedd Member. These predictions are not exaggerated or melodramatic. Farmers are already struggling due to the exorbitant rise in essential raw materials such as fertiliser, feed and fuel which has partly been caused by the war in Ukraine. This will be the final straw that push many over the brink of viability.
It was against this backdrop that the Plaid Cymru group in the Senedd used the recent vote on the Government’s tax bill as a means of relaxing some of the restrictions on NVZs. We are in agreement with the principle that pollution caused by run-off from farms needs to be reduced but this binary, blanket ban is not the way to go about it. We were hopeful that a deal could be struck that would improve the outlook for farmers in return for our support on the tax bill. Unfortunately, despite giving indications that she would support us, the sole Liberal Democrat in the Senedd abstained when it came to the vote, meaning the government bill passed. This was a lost opportunity to gain some important concessions for an agriculture sector that should be strengthened – not undermined – at a time when the question of food security and pricing becomes more and more important for the people I represent. We should be investing in the future of farming, not working towards its death knell.
We may have lost this golden opportunity to effect change in the face of Labour intransigence but we will not give up the fight to secure the future for our farmers and improve food security for people living in Wales.
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