Janet Finch-Saunders MS, Shadow Minister for Climate Change, has spoken out in the Welsh Parliament about the urgent need for the Welsh Government to reward and encourage Welsh farmers to continue producing food, and take us a step closer to being self-sufficient.
The Member’s calls for Wales to boost food production and become less dependent on imports from outside of Wales for our meat, dairy, fruit, veg, and grain come at a time when:
- Wheat prices hit record highs as war halts exports from Ukraine and Russia
- Welsh farmers have been found to be among the world's most sustainable, with research emphasising that Welsh agriculture has among the lowest greenhouse gas emissions of comparable systems worldwide
- Horticulture in Wales has been in long term decline with the number of hectares halved in 40 years
Commenting on her long running campaign to back active farmers and food production in Wales, Janet said:
“There are fewer than 3,000 hectares now under cultivation for potatoes, field vegetables, small fruit and commercial orchards in Wales.
“80% of wheat used in the UK is grown domestically. However, we should now be working towards increasing that percentage further.
“Whilst I have consistently argued in the Welsh Parliament for years that we need to boost productivity and be less reliant on imports, the Welsh Government is following an agenda which could see around 3,750 Welsh family farms lost to tree plantations.
“The war is highlighting once again the need for us to produce more food here in Wales, so it is time to properly back Welsh farmers to continue producing food”.
