Following yesterday's specially convened meeting of NFU Cymru’s governing body, the Union has concluded, on the basis of the current available evidence, that the interests of Welsh agriculture are best served by the UK remaining within the European Union.
This policy decision was taken by NFU Cymru Council at a meeting held in conjunction with the Union’s commodity boards and Next Generation Policy Group.
However, NFU Cymru respects that voting on an issue as important as the EU Referendum is an emotive and deeply personal matter and it is therefore for each member to vote how they see fit.
NFU Cymru recognises that the referendum question is both hugely complex and highly contentious with many factors adding to the debate, which may ultimately sway an individual to vote one way or the other.
NFU Cymru President, Stephen James said: “NFU Cymru has spent the past few months helping to inform our members of the issues at stake in the referendum.
“Our EU report, which was launched last autumn, examines our current relationship with the EU and has proved extremely popular.
“It has helped stimulate debate within the Union and has given members some of the key information to help them make an informed decision.
“Over the course of the last few weeks we have held a series of meetings in every county of Wales.
“At these meetings we have provided information to our members and given them an opportunity to air their views.
“Through this comprehensive process we have been able to engage with a significant proportion of our membership and we have heard forthright views, covering both sides of the debate.
“The culmination of this process of engagement was a special meeting of our NFU Cymru Council that included our commodity boards and the Next Generation Policy Group, which was convened today to agree our position ahead of the referendum.
Our position, and all the discussions leading up to it were all based purely on Welsh agriculture and what the Union believes is at present the best option for Welsh farming.
We have purposely stuck to agriculture and steered clear of many of the other elements of the debate that we do not believe directly impact on Welsh farmers.”
NFU Cymru agreed:
• Access to European markets is absolutely vital to the Welsh food and drink industry and the risk of this access being denied, or granted on less favourable terms as a result of leaving the EU is too great
• The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is a critical component of Welsh agriculture, the current commodity price crisis highlights the importance of direct payments to help manage price volatility and thus ensure food security and underpin high standards of production
• Correctly utilised in Wales, the EU Rural Development Programme has the potential to help Welsh agriculture improve its competitiveness and profitability
• Whilst claims have been made that trade could be maintained, a domestic policy would replace the current CAP and regulation would be reduced we have yet to see firm commitments, details or the credible assurances that we need on these extremely important matters
• On the basis of the information available to us at this time the best interests of Welsh agriculture is served by Wales staying within the EU
Far from perfect
Stephen James continued: “We very much recognise that the EU is far from perfect, the new CAP which has added much complexity and bureaucracy and individual movement recording of sheep, are just two areas that frustrate us about the EU and this needs to change.
“However, in our opinion, over-regulation is a fault of Government at all levels and this is something that must be tackled in Cardiff Bay, Westminster and Brussels going forward.
“The EU must continue to evolve to ensure it remains relevant; NFU Cymru through our dedicated team in Brussels and our Government has a role to play to make this happen.
“There is a lack of any clarity or certainty of what Brexit would mean for Welsh agriculture, for example we have no international trade agreements in place, no commitment from our Government to future financial support and no agreement that regulations would be scrapped or reduced if we were to leave the EU.
“Our future depends on our ability to trade and to have ready access to the widest possible range of markets, our present situation highlights the importance of having the necessary support mechanisms to deal with periods of extreme volatility.
“It is for these two key reasons that following extensive discussion and consultation, NFU Cymru Council reached the conclusion that Welsh agriculture is best served by remaining within the EU.”
Plaid Cymru welcomes NFU Cymru stance
Plaid Cymru shadow minister for rural affairs, Llyr Gruffydd AM, has welcomed today’s statement from NFU Cymru that the interests of Welsh agriculture are best served by remaining in the European Union.
He added that the decision showed that Welsh Conservative leader was out of touch with the farming community in Wales, with both NFU Cymru and the FUW supporting staying in the EU in June’s referendum.
Wales is set to receive around £2bn in payments through the European Union’s Common Agricutural Policy between 2014 and 2020 – something that the Westminster Government has recommended cutting if powers were in London’s hands.
Plaid Cymru shadow minister for rural affairs, Llyr Gruffydd AM, said: “NFU Cymru, like the FUW, has decided that Welsh agriculture is better off by us remaining as members of the European Union.
“Wales will benefit by around £2bn between 2014 and 2020 through the Common Agricultural Policy payments that support more than 80% of farms.
“In that context, leaving the European Union would be disastrous for the farming industry in Wales – but that’s the position taken by the Welsh Conservative leader.
“The farming industry says the best interests of Welsh agriculture is served by remaining in the European Union, but many of the Welsh Tories want out.
“In May's Welsh Assembly election, we can’t trust the Tories with Welsh agriculture.”
