Darren Millar, the leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd, has sharply criticized the Labour Welsh government’s revised Sustainable Farming Scheme during a recent session. Essentially, he asked how could such a large scheme not have an economic impact assessment. He noted the lack of recognition of “food security” and cautioned about the erosion of productive farmland from tree planting programs. Millar’s comments come on the heels of what many would describe as a long-awaited plan by the Welsh government to reform these highly destructive agricultural subsidies.
Shockingly, the updated plan has only been seven years in the making. It was created to address the deeply urgent nature and climate crisis impacting Wales. Yet, Millar contends that the federal government’s current approach threatens not only the agricultural sector but the survival of rural communities. As a result he argues that the majority of Welsh farms are deeply reliant on inherited subsidies. In reality, for the fiscal year 2020-21, the average of 67% of farm income in Wales was from direct government payments.
Failure to provide for stable times In his criticism, Millar called attention to major weaknesses that he sees in the old scheme. He predicted that it would lead to a devastating domino effect loss of 5,500 family sustaining jobs across his state’s rural economy. Moreover, it would deal a £200 million austerity strike to the nearby community. He sounded the alarm about the possible slaughter of up to 200,000 livestock. Such a decline would be devastating for the agricultural environment in Wales. Millar specifically pointed to a “ridiculous, unrealistic per-farm-tree-planting target” set by the previous government, which he believes would have further compounded these issues.
Millar is not alone in his skepticism. As a result, farmers and agriculture stakeholders are understandably concerned with what the updated pilot program means moving forward. The new Labour-led government is committed to the production of quality food, with the highest standards of animal welfare. They are taking environmental challenges—in particular climate change—very seriously. What Millar is criticizing, though, is a common concern among farmers. They challenge the assumption that we can do both these things without undermining the health of farming and food production.
To prevent these issues from arising again, the Welsh government is addressing the situation. They’re working to release a “ready-reckoner tool” in the next week. This tool is not definitive nor is it comprehensive, but rather intended for specific businesses to determine what the revised scheme will mean for them. Millar underscored the importance of these resources for farmers. These steps support businesses as they adjust to unpredictable tides and develop and implement new policies.
While the Welsh government’s intentions behind the revised Sustainable Farming Scheme are aimed at fostering more sustainable agricultural practices, Millar’s criticisms underscore the complexities and potential pitfalls inherent in such ambitious reforms. As rural communities continue to prepare for arts-related changes that would drastically reshape their livelihoods, the discussion surrounding these policies is perhaps more important than ever.
