Opinion: Our valued farmers are being badly let down
Farming is more than just a job, it's a way of life, writes David Chadwick MP.
Our farmers care for the land, keep food on our tables and support the wider rural economy.
Yet right now, they are facing an onslaught of pressure, and both the Welsh and UK Labour Governments are failing to stand by them.
Across my constituency, I hear the same thing from farmers - that it has never been harder to do what they do. And instead of backing them, governments are making things worse through careless policy, unfair taxation, and more foreign imports.
One of the most damaging examples is the family farms tax. This proposal is causing real fear among farming communities, making it harder to pass on farms to the next generation.
That is why in Westminster, I have backed cross-party calls to pause this damaging policy immediately. Our farmers should not be punished for handing down the family farm.
Fairness in the supply chain should be a key concern too.
Farmers are also being squeezed by powerful supermarkets and retailers who dictate prices, with producers feeling like they have no real choice in negotiations and are forced to accept deals that leave them struggling to break even.
That is why I secured a debate in Parliament on the Groceries Code Adjudicator.
A decade after its creation, the supermarket regulator is still falling short. I am pushing for it to be strengthened and made truly independent, so that farmers finally have a regulator in their corner.
Another crisis is unfolding with the loss of small abattoirs. Between 2018 and 2022, the number of red meat facilities fell by a quarter, and small poultry abattoirs dropped by 40 percent.
These services are essential to animal welfare, food traceability, and our rural economies.
In Parliament, I criticised the closure of the Small Abattoir Fund and condemned the 20 percent increase in meat inspection fees, which is threatening small operators with closure.
I also have called for investment in mobile units, proportionate regulation, and clear food labelling to support local meat producers, these decisions are no-brainers for our rural communities.
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