Farmers' Union of Wales urges next government to back family farms
With the Senedd election just over 100 days away, Welsh farmers must not be asked to shoulder growing demands without proper financial backing, the Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) has warned.
The message was delivered at the FUW’s annual Farmhouse Breakfast in Cardiff Bay, where the union set out its manifesto priorities and renewed its call to safeguard what it describes as three fundamental principles: land, family and heritage.
Held on Wednesday at the Norwegian Church, the event brought together politicians, industry representatives and FUW office holders for a traditional farmhouse breakfast showcasing Welsh produce and the contribution agriculture makes to the national economy.
The gathering formed part of the wider FUW Farmhouse Breakfast Week, with 23 events taking place across Wales in January. The series is designed to bring rural communities together while raising funds for charity, including the Wales Air Ambulance.
With the election approaching, FUW President Ian Rickman used his address to focus on the future of the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS), which will replace existing farm support payments and reshape how Welsh agriculture is funded.
The union is calling on the next Welsh Government to increase the £238 million allocated to the Universal Layer of the SFS, arguing that the current budget is insufficient to mitigate the scheme’s projected economic impacts or support its long-term ambitions.
Rickman also highlighted the role of family farms in sustaining Wales’s landscapes, rural communities and cultural heritage, while urging meaningful progress on tackling bovine TB and strengthening the Welsh food system.
The event was attended by Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca Davies MS, who thanked the FUW for its close collaboration during discussions on the Sustainable Farming Scheme.
He also announced the introduction of a mandatory, standardised system for classifying sheep carcasses and price reporting, which will come into force on 28 January.
Addressing attendees, Rickman said: “After almost a decade of discussion, debate – and at spirited times disagreement – the Sustainable Farming Scheme now moves from design into delivery, marking a generational shift in how Welsh farming is supported and sustained.”
He added: “As I have said consistently since July, the Scheme is not perfect, and there remains important work to be done.”
Rickman said farmers would respond constructively as the scheme is rolled out. “As farmers now begin to familiarise themselves with what the Scheme means for their businesses, I have every confidence we will do what Welsh farmers have always done best: adapt, innovate, and move forward.”
However, he warned that ambition must be matched by realism. “Welsh farmers cannot – and should not – be expected to do more for less,” he said.
“If the Scheme is to succeed, it must be underpinned by an increased budget and a robust financial framework – learning from the Welsh Government’s own impact assessments, and securing the stability and long-term certainty that Wales’ farm businesses and agri-food supply chains require.”
The FUW said the next Welsh Government would need to respond decisively to ensure the scheme delivers stability for farmers and the wider agri-food sector.
