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Working together in era of change - pledge of support to farmers

The Welsh Government will work in partnership with farming unions to do all it can to support the industry through changes ahead, Deputy Minister for Agriculture has told the FUW conference.

Friday 22 June 2012

Speaking at the Farming Union of Wales’ AGM, Deputy Minister, Alun Davies, discussed, among other topics, the reform of the CAP and the formation of the new Rural Development Plan.

He said:

"To build a successful future, farmers and the Welsh Government must be innovative and forward-thinking, embrace change and step away from the comfort of old ideas and habits.

"Farming in Wales is going to change considerably in the coming years. We have important projects to take forward, and new regulations and structures we must operate within.

"Regarding negotiations on CAP reform in Brussels, I have made it clear to the Commission that we may well need to operate a number of differentiated payment rates in Wales to address our varied industry, and I am pleased that the Commission have accepted that."

The Deputy Minister also spoke about the importance of targeting funding to maximise support to rural communities:

"I cannot overstate the importance to me of stimulating economic activity, both in the industry and in our rural communities. I intend to look with a fresh perspective at all the options so that we can maximise the impact of our next round of RDP funding from 2014 to 2020."