Questions now from the party spokespeople. Conservative spokesperson, Samuel Kurtz.

Diolch, Llywydd. Minister, it was good to welcome you to west Wales in August for the Pembrokeshire County Show. I know your attendance will have been appreciated by the show committee and the exhibitors, and I'm sure you will join with me in congratulating the team on their success with the return of the show, following the cancellation last year. I'm also sure that the Minister will wish to pay tribute to farmers across Wales and Britain today as we mark Back British Farming Day. 

But if we are to truly back our farmers, we must now work to get on top of the bovine TB crisis in Wales. This morning's news that the number of new TB herd incidents in Wales has increased by 3 per cent in comparison to England and Scotland, which have both seen percentage decreases, will not instil Welsh farmers with confidence in the Government's current policy and testing regime. Therefore, what discussions has the Minister had with Neil Watt and Gordon Harkiss from MV Diagnostics Ltd, who have developed an alternative bovine TB test, Enferplex, which claims to deliver more accurate results than the current test? And if no meeting has occurred, will you meet with them to discuss the Enferplex test and offer your support to help progress a pilot scheme, which could pave the way for a new Welsh bovine TB strategy to eradicate the disease once and for all?

Thank you. It was good to see you also, and Cefin Campbell, at the Pembrokeshire show. It was the only agricultural show that we had over the summer recess, ahead of the Usk Show last Saturday. It was good to show support to the many, many volunteers who had ensured that the show went ahead, in a different format from how we usually celebrate. But it was really good to be there, so, yes, I absolutely join you in thanking them all.

In relation to the TB statistics that were published this morning, we've seen a decrease in new incidents during the most recent 12-month period, which is to be welcomed. And you will have heard me saying in an answer before to Llyr that I will be making a statement in this Chamber in November around the refreshed eradication programme.

On the specific question you asked around Neil and Gordon, I've asked my officials to meet with them. I haven't met them myself. Again, I've referred to the meetings I had over the summer with Glyn Hewison, who advises us in the Welsh Government on our TB strategy, but I'm always keen to hear from anybody who has answers on how we can have a significant impact on this dreadful disease.

Thank you, Minister. Yes, you mentioned the vaccine that could be available in four years' time, but this new test, Enferplex, is being delivered on the ground already, so that really does show that there is impetus within the agricultural community to get this issue sorted once and for all.

However, there also remains nervousness within the industry around the future of the Glastir Organic, Commons and Advanced agreements that are due to expire on 13 December this year. These agri-environment schemes play an important role within the Welsh agricultural industry, but farmers are now nervously awaiting an announcement as to whether these contracts will be extended for a further 12 months or more. An extension is not uncommon, and Minister, you said yourself that the Glastir replacement, the sustainable farming scheme, would not be introduced until it is absolutely ready. With the industry having first been told a decision would be expected in July, and then late summer, can you please provide clarity over the renewal of these schemes, to give Welsh farmers some level of certainty?

The majority of Glastir Advanced, Organic and Commons contracts do expire at the end of this year, and many contracts are already the subject of multiple extensions and renewals as we've gone forward. Since 2017, when the five-year contract period of Glastir Advanced came to an end, the position was to extend contracts as they expired, but, of course, you'll be aware that the EU rural development programme funding and the uncertainty that we have regarding future budget availability means that that really now is no longer an option. I know there is going to be an increased focus on the future of these contracts, but as I say, until I have some surety about funding, I'm unable to make an announcement. 

That will be disappointing for farmers across Wales to hear.

Finally, Minister, I expect many Members across this Chamber would have received a huge range of correspondence from constituents regarding concerns about gaps in Welsh equine ID legislation. Although my colleagues and I have warmly welcomed the mandatory microchipping of horses in Wales, concerns remain about the accuracy of paper passports currently used to trace horses, as well as the low number of microchipped equines entered onto the central equine database. I'm aware that the UK Government is going to be consulting on changes to equine identification and traceability later this year, so what steps are you taking to ensure significant improvements to the system, including the digitisation of equine passports, as the British Horseracing Authority started in July, and providing a frictionless service to safeguard the welfare of horses?

I'm not aware of any correspondence. You referred to quite a large amount of correspondence; certainly nothing's come across my desk. Whether it's in the pipeline, I don't know. But I will have a discussion with the chief veterinary officer, who I know has spoken to the other three chief veterinary officers in the UK around this, and I will write to the Member with the current position.FootnoteLink 

Information further to Plenary

Plaid Cymru spokesperson, Cefin Campbell. 

Thank you very much, Llywydd. Having raised with you at the end of the last parliamentary term the need to safeguard the bluefin tuna, I was very pleased to hear back from you, and I quote, saying: 

'I am finalising details for a scientific tuna catch and release tagging pilot project in Wales in 2021.'

Since then, I haven't heard or seen many of the details or dates from you, and the tuna fishing season has started since August. So, I would warmly welcome more details on these proposals.

But there is a real need to take broader action on fisheries and aquaculture in Wales more generally. Having met, around a fortnight ago, with representatives of the Welsh Fishermen's Association, it's clear to me that many opportunities have been missed over the past 10 years to provide a better system in terms of managing Welsh fisheries. The lack of a legal approach to managing fisheries in a sustainable manner, the model that you use to manage the sector, and the lack of specific resources have caused significant delays in providing sustainable fisheries in Welsh waters. After more than 10 years of being responsible for fisheries management, do you agree that it's time to hold an independent review of marine fisheries and aquaculture in Wales, which would evaluate the resources required to provide the science, policy and legislation for the current Senedd and beyond?

In relation to your first question around tuna, as you say, the season only just started really last month. So, I don't think I'm in a position to give any data at the current time, but, obviously, once the season progresses, I'm sure I will be able to do that. 

Your substantive question referred to fishing policy over the last decade, and I really don't recognise the situation that you paint. So, no, I do not think we would need an independent review. Obviously, now we've left the European Union, that does provide an opportunity to have an integrated fishing policy in a way that we haven't done before in Wales that specifically meets the needs of our Welsh fishers and also our coastal communities, because, clearly, the two go very much hand in hand. 

Thank you very much. I look forward to some sort of internal review on that and a strategy to develop the sector for the future.

Another issue I raised with the Minister prior to recess was the issue of purchasing farmland by major corporations for tree planting, and most of these companies are from outwith Wales, and that land is then used for tree planting rather than food production. Rather than following the principle of the right tree, in the right place, for the right reason, Welsh communities are losing out as any environmental and economic benefits from these steps go to companies from outwith Wales, and they don't remain within local communities. And this is, unfortunately, another example of Welsh resources being exploited by external forces, as has happened over the years with our coal, our water, and our electricity.

Over the summer, unfortunately, it appears that the situation has hastened and accelerated and got worse. And as I've said in the past, if Welsh farmers can't buy land in their own communities when it is available, because they are undermined by multinationals from London, then this will damage the language, culture and heritage of those localities. We know that you've established a national forestry plan, but what steps will you as a Government take to resolve these problems, and to safeguard land and communities in Wales?

You raise a really important point, and I think it's about balance. You did raise this with me, and I've had a discussion with Lee Waters, the Deputy Minister for Climate Change, who you'll be aware did a deep dive into tree planting as a whole. And clearly, the issue of agricultural land being sold to companies, particularly for carbon offsetting, is something that is a concern. But equally, it's very difficult to say to a farmer, 'You should not sell your farmland to this person because of—', and I think that would be a very difficult area for the Government to trespass into.

I did have a discussion with a farmer on a visit over the summer recess, and he highlighted that three farms had been sold off to a multinational company, which I won't name, and his concern around that. But equally, he knew the person who had sold one of the farms, and that person wanted the best money that they could get for it. So again, it's really difficult then for us to have a policy on it. What I do think is really important is that we take every opportunity to make sure that right tree is planted in the right place. That doesn't sit in my portfolio now; even though I've got the funding to buy trees and to encourage farmers to plant trees, it does sit within the climate change directorate. But of course, I will be taking a very close interest in it, and having those further discussions.

Certainly, I can think of very few farmers I've met who object to planting trees. They want to plant trees, they want to look at their hedges and the edges of their farmland, to make sure they use every opportunity they can to help us with that target. And clearly, the national forest is a very long-term project, but I think it's great to see communities wanting to engage. I've had somebody contact me—they've just bought an acre of woodland, and they want that to be part of the national forest. So, I think it has captured the imagination of people, and I'm sure when it's finished it will be as treasured as the coast path is in Wales.

Thank you very much. I accept that that's a difficult balance to strike, but there is an opportunity for the Government to work with farmers in order to highlight the benefits that exist in planting trees. And of course, if the situation in terms of planting trees on farmland gets worse, then it will mean that there is less land available for food production in a sustainable manner.

A recent survey of upland farmers in Wales showed that 95 per cent of those questioned had noted that producing and selling food was either very important or relatively important to their businesses. And the importance of food has far-reaching consequences, way beyond the farm gate, as we've seen over the last summer months, as we've seen the importance of robust supply chains in ensuring that people have a safe, affordable, high-quality supply of food available to them. In order to ensure that supply chains are maintained as locally as possible, we need to promote processing capacity here in Wales. And despite this, from the processing of dairy produce to red meat, we have an extractive economy here in Wales, where produce from Wales is very often taken over the border to England for processing. This all represents income and value lost to Wales, never mind the detrimental impact on the environment. So, how will you ensure that we improve and increase processing capacity in Wales? And do you agree that one way of doing so would be to enhance the market for food? And will the Government look at how it can work with public bodies in order to ensure local procurement to promote the economy and strengthen the sector? 

Yes, there were quite a lot of questions and some very important points in those questions, and, certainly, I think, one of the things I've done since I've been in portfolio is to try and encourage processors to come to Wales to show that we're really keen to attract them here. Certainly, dairy—that was an area where we were seeing milk go over the border to England in a way that was not good, I didn't think, for Wales. So, we have done some significant work, working with the major processors to ensure that stayed in Wales.

Around public procurement, this is a massive opportunity now, I think, for us to ensure that our public services use Welsh food and drink far more. I don't think we will be able to sustain ourselves with the amount of food that we're producing at the moment, but I'm really keen to do all I can to ensure that we make the most of that. I met with an organisation over recess who were telling me that they were working with the agricultural sector to look at future food, so food that perhaps farmers hadn't even thought that they would be able to grow at the current time. So, I think it is really important that Government works in partnership with these organisations to make sure we take absolute advantage of all the opportunities.