I now call on the party spokespeople to question the Cabinet Secretary, and first this week is the Plaid Cymru spokesperson, Simon Thomas.

Thank you, Presiding Officer. Cabinet Secretary, you may be aware that the National Farmers Union Cymru are currently conducting a campaign to encourage everyone to buy at least five items of produce from Wales. Can you name the last five items of Welsh produce that you bought, and what are you doing as Minister to ensure that customers know that their produce is from Wales?

I can. I was in committee this morning, and Simon will have heard me say this, but I was in Morrisons in Wrexham on Saturday, and, as you know, I visited Puffin Produce in Pembroke over the summer, where they have their very recognisable packaging. So, I bought leeks and new potatoes, and I also bought a cauliflower—that’s three. I bought some Welsh lamb. I’m trying to think of the fifth quick—maybe some scallops. [Laughter.]

Halen Môn.

Halen Môn—yes.

Halen Môn to season the potatoes—that would do, wouldn’t it?

The Member for Ynys Môn is correct actually.

Excellent. And a little cider to wash it down perhaps.

Turning to the current situation that we face, the Westminster Government have stated clearly that single farm payments and environmental payments under the current common agricultural policy will continue from their point of view until 2020. Can you therefore confirm in the Chamber today that it is Welsh Government policy to do exactly the same thing and that there will be no change to single farm payments in Wales or to payments under the rural development programme until 2020?

Yes, well, as the Member is aware from committee this morning, we are having those discussions now. A great deal of work and activity has taken place over the summer with the farming sector, looking at what we will do post Brexit, and, clearly, the issues around subsidy are very important to our farming industry, and it’s very important that we support them. They are, basically, our food producers, and it’s really important for our food security that we do that.

I thank the Cabinet Secretary for that, but I didn’t hear a guarantee of the payments continuing until 2020. If she is just able to confirm that, it would be useful for everyone concerned, I think, because we can then discuss what comes afterwards, but at least we know what’s happening now.

The other issue I wanted to raise with her was that there was some confusion from the First Minister yesterday around access to the single market, which may be through a free trade arrangement, which can involve tariffs, or membership of the single market, which is something that comes, of course, with freedom of movement. Within freedom of movement, does she agree with me, and also the Wales Governance Centre, that migrant workers play an important part in the rural economy? The Wales Governance Centre says this:

‘Research on EU migrants to Wales shows no associated increase in unemployment of UK nationals in the sector, with migrants entering hard-to-fill vacancies’, and, of course, seasonal vacancies. There are 34,000 non-UK born workers employed in this sector. So, what discussions have you had with the Westminster Government for the continuation of this important migrant workforce for Welsh agriculture, and food production as well of course, which is associated with it, and doesn’t this rather beg the question, as we are talking about potentially a visa-based system, or a points-based system, that, really, Wales needs a say, if not its own migration policy?

Thank you. Sorry, I thought you said ‘beyond 2020’. Absolutely; we know we’re getting that money until 2020. We have that assurance, and, absolutely, that’s the case. In relation to your question regarding migrant workers, I think you’re absolutely right. Both the agricultural sector, and probably more so the food processing sector, relies on migrant workers, and they’re again part of our ongoing discussions as to how we take the sector forward post Brexit. But, clearly, it is a very important issue, and I know both the agricultural sector and the food sector are very concerned about how they are going to fill those very hard and difficult positions.

The Welsh Conservatives’ spokesperson, Paul Davies.

Diolch, Lywydd. Cabinet Secretary, following the EU referendum vote in June, you said that Brexit offered the chance for a made-in-Wales approach to farming. In light of that statement, what specific action has the Welsh Government taken over the summer to eradicate bovine TB in Wales?

As you know, we have our eradication scheme, and I’ve already said that we’re having a close look at that, and I’ll be making a statement in this Chamber next month.

Well, making a statement in the next few weeks isn’t good enough, Cabinet Secretary, because the Government’s own figures—your figures—show a 37 per cent increase in the number of cattle slaughtered in Wales in the 12 months to May this year, and, in my own county of Pembrokeshire, there was a staggering 61 per cent increase on the previous year. Now, it’s clear to me that this Welsh Government and successive Labour-led Welsh Governments just don’t do rural affairs, given their failure to address this devastating disease, which continues to blight our farmers. Therefore, will you now commit to pursuing a more comprehensive package for dealing with bovine TB that includes a holistic approach to dealing with this disease, and will you confirm that no option is off the table, including a possible managed badger cull, so that we can actually tackle the disease in cattle and in wildlife?

What the Member also fails to mention is that we’ve seen a 16 per cent decrease in new herd incidents, and whilst I don’t want to see an increase in the number of cattle that are slaughtered, given the fact that we are testing so hard, I don’t think we can expect not to see an increase in the reactors. I’ve already said that I’m considering all options over the summer. I’ve said that many times since I came into post four months ago, and I will be making a statement next month.

Cabinet Secretary, there are very real concerns for the future of the Welsh farming industry should this issue not be dealt with effectively and efficiently? There are concerns it will put Welsh farmers at even more of a disadvantage once we leave the European Union. So, how will you, as the Cabinet Secretary for rural affairs, guarantee that Welsh farmers will not be put at a disadvantage because of the Welsh Government’s failure so far to tackle this disease? And will you confirm for the industry today that bovine TB will be tackled in this Assembly, so that farmers can be confident that they actually won’t suffer weaker trade deals once we actually leave the European Union?

I think it is being dealt with in the manner to which you refer already, and has been for several years. The issue you raise around trade after we leave the EU, I think, is a very pertinent one and one that I’ve already discussed with the sector and will continue to discuss at both the ministerial level and with my officials also.

UKIP spokesperson, Neil Hamilton.

Of course, talk is one thing and action is another. We’ve seen lots of talk and no action. Actually, the position is even worse, I’m afraid, than that which Paul Davies pointed out because today the figures have been announced for the next month after May and they’re even worse. In the 12 months to June 2016, there were 9,476 cattle slaughtered in Wales—a 43 per cent increase on the same period in the 12 months to last year. So, what decisive action is going to be taken in this area? Each one of these cases is a tragedy for the farmers concerned and indeed, of course, for the animals that are slaughtered. So, this is something that I think is all too often neglected or indeed forgotten by people in the Labour Party. Just because farmers in general don’t vote Labour, they’ve got no time for them at all.

Clearly, the Member for Mid and West Wales wasn’t listening to my answers to Paul Davies. I don’t agree with you that there’s been no action. Again, you just quote the 43 per cent, but you fail to mention the 16 per cent decrease in new herd instances also.

At 740 new herds, in numerical terms, that’s 740 new sets of tragedy and I don’t regard that as in any way acceptable. As regards the Brexit negotiations that are going on, does the Cabinet Secretary not understand that this could be absolutely fatal in these negotiations for the interests of Welsh farmers? Because we all remember what happened with BSE, that even long after BSE ceased to be a problem, the French wouldn’t allow British beef to go into France and I can easily see how, in the course of these negotiations, the situation on TB in cattle in Wales in particular could become a major block on the capacity of the British Government to negotiate tariff-free access for Welsh farming products.

I think it’s a great shame that we’re having to have post-Brexit negotiations at all, to be perfectly honest with you. You heard my answer to Paul Davies. I do understand concerns about that and I will continue to have those discussions. It’s very early days in the post-Brexit discussions, as you are aware.

I’m well aware, of course, that that Cabinet Secretary was on the losing side of the argument with the Welsh people over whether it was a good thing for Wales to remain in the EU. It was notable that the biggest pro-Brexit votes were in seats that Labour has traditionally regarded as their strongest heartland seats, which shows you how out of touch with their own traditional supporters the modern Labour Party is.

But, on another issue that is also of great interest to Welsh farmers, the nitrate-vulnerable zones, we were told that there was to be a consultation exercise on this. Can the Cabinet Secretary tell me when that is going to start, if it is going to start? Does she understand that this also could mean a massive increase in costs for farmers at a time when farming incomes have been plummeting?

We will be consulting later this month.