The Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) has reinforced the difference between Wales and England in terms of agriculture, at the Welsh Conservative Party Spring Conference in Cardiff.
Theresa May has set out her desire to create a "more united" Britain, in her speech in Cardiff. She told the conference that Britons are "at heart one people" be they Welsh, English, Scottish or from Northern Ireland.
However, the FUW has warned that Welsh agriculture 'fundamentally differs' in terms of needs, product and social importance.
Speaking at the event was FUW President Glyn Roberts, who said: “In Wales the family farm is the cornerstone of much of our agriculture and our way of life. Far more so than in England. Therefore we must ensure that the role of such farms in rural Wales is recognised.
He said: “We need the UK Government to appreciate the difference and repatriate powers from Brussels to the Welsh Government, ideally within a new UK framework.
“Welsh agriculture fundamentally differs in terms of need, product and social importance. Hence why we can’t have an ‘England Centric’ policy once we leave the EU.
“There are things happening in regards to our exit from the EU. Whilst the focus will be on the big issues of exit negotiations, there are critical UK issues that need to be resolved through discussion and agreement with devolved nations.
“But, we can work in parallel and continue to plan our future here at home and that’s why I urge our devolved administrations to work together closely and with a sense of urgency in developing the necessary UK agricultural framework,” added Glyn Roberts.
“We can have a prosperous future for the sector after we leave the EU and there are plenty of opportunities to be explored but a lot of it depends on the willingness of our politicians to recognise how different farming across the devolved nations is and that they have very different requirements.”
The FUW agreed last autumn that a UK agricultural framework should be put in place ‘which prevents unfair competition between devolved regions and secures and protects adequate long term funding for agriculture.’
