Plaid’s new rural affairs spokesperson highlights concerns

Plaid Cymru’s newly appointed rural affairs spokesperson wasted no time in the role with a farm visit to Cae Haidd Uchaf, Nebo near Pentrefoelas this morning.

There he met with members of the National Farmers’ Union to discuss a variety of topics, including the Welsh Government’s consultation on its Brexit and our Land proposals and the UK Government’s plans for the post-Brexit agricultural industry.

Mr Gruffydd, who is also Plaid Cymru’s North Wales AM, was visiting NFU Clwyd chair Paul Williams’s farm as well as meeting vice chair Dafydd Jones and NFU Clwyd county organiser Joe Moult.

Mr Gruffydd said: “It was a pleasure to visit Paul’s farm in the uplands between Llanrwst and Pentrefoelas and our conversation was naturally dominated by Brexit and its implications for the farming community. Farmers are very clearly in need of some stability and certainty at the moment and neither the UK or Welsh governments are providing that. There are huge questions around the future provision of farm support as outlined in the on-going consultation on Brexit and Our Land, and the recent increase in bTB levels in north-east Wales is also cause for concern.

“I’ll be taking up the issues raised in the Senedd but also liaising with my Plaid Cymru colleagues in Westminster, as the UK Government’s Agriculture Bill is going to have a huge bearing on the future prospects for Welsh farmers.”