Upcoming agricultural shows this summer will provide more opportunities for discussion and to see the best of rural Wales, Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales Lesley Griffiths has said.
The Minister will be visiting both the Anglesey and Pembrokeshire shows this week, and will be joined by the First Minister Mark Drakeford at Mona for Sioe Mon The Welsh Government has a presence at both shows where farmers will be able to find out more about the proposals for the Sustainable Farming Scheme.
The Minister for Rural Affairs said: “I’m looking forward to visiting both shows this week. Sioe Mon and the Pembrokeshire Show are highlights of the rural calendar, and very popular with locals and visitors alike.
“As at the Royal Welsh the shows bring rural communities together, and are a great opportunity to have discussions and debates.
“The Welsh Government will have a presence at both shows, and I would encourage everyone to call in and find out more about the proposals for the Sustainable Farming Scheme. We will be consulting on the final scheme towards the end of this year where we will be incorporating the findings from last year’s co-design exercise to help shape the next version of the SFS proposals.
“The industry is facing change and many challenges including the climate and nature emergencies. The last few summers have highlighted the very real and devastating global impact of climate change and there is no doubt this will be the greatest challenge for agriculture and food production. Whatever changes we make for the future, the priority must be to allow our farmers to produce food sustainably while tackling the climate emergency.
“I’m looking forward to the shows this summer, and to hear people’s views.”
The First Minister said: “Sioe Mon is one of the highlights of the summer calendar of events in North Wales, and I’m looking forward to attending today. It will be an opportunity to continue discussions with farmers and others about future support for the industry.
“Events like Sioe Mon show what our rural communities achieve and highlight the excellent produce we have here in Wales. To produce food sustainably in the future we must address the climate and nature emergencies which are all too real. Farmers are ideally placed to help us do that, and contribute towards reaching our net zero target.”
