Of course, what the Member must also bear in mind is that CAP would only continue up until 2020. So, we, as a Government at the UK level, have made it quite clear that we will continue with that level of funding until 2022. Although the scale of the challenge is huge, to say the least, there are also opportunities here. For example, the agricultural policy framework must look in earnest at the current regulatory landscape for farmers and have better ways of supporting farmers. NFU Cymru have told us that poor regulation is often a cause for a lack of confidence in the industry, and that further regulation adds to the workload of farmers. Well, we now have the opportunity to actually transform this landscape and ensure that more voluntary approaches are introduced, and that when regulation is introduced, it is introduced as a result of robust evidence.

Now, agriculture in the UK and in Wales must be in the vanguard of any Brexit negotiations, and the new UK Government must proceed in ensuring trade deals so that export industries, such as farming and the food and drink industry, can continue to do business with European markets. Farmers across Wales are right to be concerned about the terms of access to imports and exports in this climate, and it’s crucial that we don’t let cheaper produce with lower standards into Wales and the UK from other nations. It’s crucial, therefore, that any trade deals are negotiated carefully, with the agricultural industry at the heart of any negotiation.

Of course, we need to establish a trade deal with the European Union that meets the needs of Welsh farmers, and that deal must be ready from the moment that we leave the European Union. Losing any access to export markets in the EU would be disastrous for Welsh farmers, and I very much hope, therefore, that the new Government in the UK will immediately start to work to secure an agreement that not only safeguards our farmers against cheap imports, but will ensure that Welsh farmers can continue to rely on the European Union export markets for the future.

Of course, the sustainability of farming in Wales isn’t just in the hands of the UK Government. Indeed, the Welsh Government continues to have a very important role to play in safeguarding Welsh farmers. The Welsh Government must do everything it can to strengthen the agricultural industry in Wales, and that means tackling some of the long-established issues that Welsh farmers have faced so that there are no threats to our trade negotiations. For example, the NFU is right to draw attention to bovine TB and make it clear that, unless proactive steps are taken to control the source of the infection in wildlife and in cattle, there could be risks to any trade deal in future. These are issues that need to be taken forward by the Welsh Government now, and as these discussions develop, so that the efforts to have the best possible deal for the red meat and dairy industries in Wales aren’t put at risk at all.

So, in conclusion, Llywydd, I want to reiterate once again how important it is to safeguard the sustainability of the farming industry in Wales in the long term. Our cultural heritage, the Welsh language, and the future of our rural areas, is dependent upon that. Thank you.