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21 Aug 2018
‘Wales must not lose out on a penny of funding as a result of Brexit’
It came as Ms Griffiths announced a £1 million European Transition Fund on Monday (July 22) to secure a ‘strong future’ for farming.
While Welsh Government Rural Affairs Minister Lesley Griffiths acknowledged at the Royal Welsh Show this week that she had still not had any UK Government assurances on the level of support funding from 2020 onwards, both farming unions in Wales made it plain that they would settle for nothing less than existing levels.
Farmers Union of Wales president Glyn Roberts said farming was in the middle of a political crisis and that politicians did ‘not seem aware’ of the effect their decisions would have on the rural communities.
He said basic payments were under threat and farmers were unsure whether the system would continue or not.
Mr Roberts said: “I worry that the agricultural industry is used as a pawn in the political game of chess and that we will be the first to be sacrificed in future trade deals.”
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NFU Cymru president John Davies called on the UK Treasury for a commitment that Wales would be given ‘at the very least’ the same level of resource it currently receives.
“Boris Johnson is himself signatory to an open letter which says that the money which Wales gets from Brussels would be maintained by the UK Government in the event of Brexit,” Mr Davies said.
“I have no intention of letting the funding issue rest. Wales must not lose out on a penny of funding as a result of Brexit.”
Made-in-Wales scheme
It came as Ms Griffiths announced a £1 million European Transition Fund on Monday (July 22) to secure a ‘strong future’ for farming.
The government’s proposals under the already announced new Sustainable Farming Scheme will reward farmers for environmental outcomes and help tackle ‘some of the biggest challenges we face today’, Ms Griffiths said, such as climate change and reversing the decline in biodiversity, as well as building a successful future for the sector and future generations.
She added: “I have now secured nearly a million pounds of funding which will help support the agriculture, fisheries and food sectors respond to the risks and opportunities of Brexit.
“This is our opportunity to design a made-in-Wales scheme which will ensure farming has a strong and sustainable future post-Brexit.”
Under the latest round of the Welsh European Transition Fund, £190,000 has been earmarked for business planning for the sheep sector, £690,000 for Welsh food development and £60,000 for farming, fishing and mental health projects.
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