Lesley Griffiths AM has been appointed as the new Welsh Environment and Rural Affairs Cabinet Secretary by the newly sworn in First Minister, Carwyn Jones AM.
Responding to the news and welcoming the appointment, NFU Cymru President, Stephen James, said: "I very much welcome Lesley Griffiths AM to her new position and I wish her well for the task ahead.
"Agriculture plays a vital role in Wales’ economy - it has an annual gross output estimated at £1.5bn with nearly 60,000 people employed in the sector.
"We are pleased that this has been recognised by an appointment to Cabinet level.
"Lesley Griffiths joins us at a crucial time, with markets in difficulty and farm incomes under severe pressure so we very much look to her to hit the ground running.
"NFU Cymru in our election manifesto set out the key actions that this Government needs to take to support our industry and help us to deliver a productive, profitable and progressive agriculture industry in Wales.
"There are a number of issues that the new Cabinet Secretary must urgently address.
"In particular, the roll out of the Wales RDP, ensuring that it is used to support widespread investment in new technology on farms across Wales.
"The curse of bovine TB must also be prioritised through an eradication strategy which tackles the disease in both cattle and wildlife aswell as the need to use every opportunity to market and promote our quality Welsh food to new and existing markets."
"The threat of new Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZ) loom large over parts of Wales.
"Farms potentially affected see these zones having a significant economic impact on their businesses and this in turn will impact negatively on the wider rural economy.
"We ask that the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs commits to no gold-plating of the Nitrates directive in Wales and ensures that the evidence base underpinning any proposals is robust and stands up to scrutiny.
"We look to a Government that makes policy decisions on the basis of sound science and that works with industry on achieving outcomes through a voluntary rather than regulatory approach."
Mr James concluded: "I very much look forward to working with Lesley Griffiths AM and NFU Cymru is seeking an early meeting with the new Cabinet Secretary in order to discuss the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for Welsh farming."
