A Time To Reflect - And Meet The Challenges Ahead

NFU Cymru president Aled Jones' New Year message reflecting on 2024 and looking ahead to 2025

- ANDREW FORGRAVE

2024 began with Welsh farmers expressing concern, worry, frustration and - at times - anger over Welsh Government's proposals within its 'Keep Farmers Farming' consultation. The year ends with similar emotions being expressed over the UK Government's family farm tax changes.

We end the year and begin 2025 with the extreme worry over the removal of the inheritance tax reliefs and the impact it is having on our farming families.

We must stop the UK Government from introducing this family farm tax.

My message to UK Government is simple: pause the proposals, consult with industry and undertake a comprehensive impact assessment that considers the long-term impact of these changes on farming families and food production.

In December, NFU Cymru engaged with a thousand farming businesses as part of our Sustainable Farming Scheme Roadshow events, presenting Welsh Government's revised scheme outline.

Our members recognised the progress that has been made with the development of the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) since the beginning of the year and I would like to place on record my thanks to the Deputy First Minister for the partnership approach he has established since his appointment in March.

That said, we all recognise that there is much more work to be done to ensure that the SFS will work for all farm sectors, farm types, land areas, for tenant farmers and for those farms with common land, and on the scheme detail to make sure that it is manageable and avoids duplication with other supply chain requirements, including farm assurance.

In particular, members have highlighted the need for the 10% habitat scheme rule to better reflect the wide diversity of temporary and permanent habitats we have on our farms.

They were very clear that hedges and other traditional boundary features must be included within the scheme rule.