I know farmers haven’t had it easy recently, but as your Member of the Senedd, I know how hard you work to keep food on the table and serve our rural communities.
The Welsh Labour Government simply doesn’t get farming - whether it’s the continuing failure to bring Bovine TB under control, the implementation of NVZ rules without sufficient flexibility, or the initial proposals for the Sustainable Farming Scheme - many in the sector feel unheard and undervalued.
And that’s been made worse by the UK Labour Government who seem determined to punish our farmers with their new Family Farm Tax.
And even those farmers who have diversified their businesses, often encouraged by the Government, have been punished too.
The 182-day rule, for holiday lets, for example, brought in by a Welsh Labour Government and Plaid Cymru, has made it simply impossible in many cases to meet these arbitrary requirements.
I know how important this sector is - that’s why I’ll continue to stand up for you and fight for fair, workable policies that safeguard the future of Welsh farming.
That’s why the Welsh Conservatives have backed our farmers by pledging, if in Government, to:
- Ensure the new Sustainable Farming Scheme is properly funded, with food security and productivity at its’ heart
- Increase the farming budget by £100m in the next Senedd term
- Scrap the 182-day occupancy rule for self-catering businesses
But I know there’s so much more we can do, and I’m keen to know what more we can do to support you, and how I can better represent your views in the Senedd, so please complete the attached survey and send it back to me using the Freepost envelope provided or you can fill it in online by scanning the QR code.
Thank you once again for everything you do. I look forward to continuing to work with you to support Welsh agriculture and ensure a strong future for our rural communities.