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Glamorgan beef and sheep farming couple call for clarity on trade and funding post-Brexit
Richard Walker and Rachel Edwards
A Glamorgan beef and sheep farming couple have called for clarity on trade and funding post-Brexit on the eve of the 1 year exit countdown .
F armers ’ Union of Wales Glamorgan County Chairman Richard Walker and his partner Rachel Edwards , who run Flaxland Farm - a 120 acre holding just outside of Barry , look after 120 breeding ewes , 3 rams , 40 lambs from last year , 150 lambs from this year and 100 cattle ( consisting of 37 breeding and 60 young stock ).
They are worried about the lack of progress made in trade negotiations and the fact that farmers in Wales still don ’ t know what budget will be allocated to Wales in terms of agriculture .
Speaking from his farm , Richard said : “ We are 1 year away from leaving the EU , yet we have no idea of where our produce will be sold to and under what conditions and we don ’ t know how much money will be allocated to Wales as part of the agricultural budget . It is very worrying and I urge the UK Government to provide clarity as soon as possible .”
Even though Richard and Rachel have secured a market for their lambs with local butchers in the Vale of Glamorgan , the concern for the rest of the industry remains .
Rachel said : “ We have managed to secure a
08 | Farming Monthly | April 2018 market for our produce locally but that doesn ’ t in any way help the other lamb producers across Wales . Politicians need to understand that most of the lambs born this year will be sold into a post-Brexit market - but what exactly that market looks like , and under what conditions , such as tariffs , where and how our produce will be sold is a mystery .
“ All this talk of farmers having to future-proof their business and be forward thinking is well and good but those in power need to do their bit too .”
Addressing the issue of funding , FUW Managing Director Alan Davies said : “ Historically the funding to support farming in Wales has come from the Common Agricultural Policy , but once the UK leaves the EU in March next year that link will be broken .
“ Any funding to support agriculture will have to come from the UK Treasury . We ’ ve already heard that the Government will commit the same amount of funding to agriculture for the rest of this parliament . But there are complexities around how that funding might be allocated .
“ If the UK Treasury matches , as is expected , the current EU payments of £ 3.5 billion to DEFRA to support UK agriculture , there are at least 2 ways in which that money can be allocated to Wales . One method and the one most often used in UK Government financial calculations is to use the Barnett Formula .”
Mr Davies explained that when “ new ” money is allocated to a government department , generally the “ Barnett consequential ” for Wales is around 5.6 % of the total money allocated . That means that if DEFRA receive £ 3.5 billion , the “ Consequential ” for Wales will be around £ 196 million .
“ Wales has historically received around 9.4 % of the total EU CAP budget allocation to the UK . That would equate to £ 329 million . Barnett would reduce our funding by around 40 % and that must not happen .
“ In order to deliver Fair Farm Funding for Wales it is therefore essential that the UK Government allocate funds outside the Barnett formula .
“ Wales urgently needs certainty that we will receive at least our historical share of the UK ’ s agricultural and rural development budget promised by Secretary of State Michael Gove , especially as the budget for next year needs to be in place by October this year ,” he added .
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