3. Statement by the Minister for Rural Affairs, North Wales, and Trefnydd: Future Farming Policy and the Sustainable Farming Scheme

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:09 pm on 21 September 2021.

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Photo of Lesley Griffiths Lesley Griffiths Labour 3:09, 21 September 2021

Thank you very much, and you will have heard me say my views around the word 'active'. I thought it was very important to have in the statement, and very important that it is our active farmers who are rewarded for their work.

I don't disagree with anything you were saying about Farming Connect. The reason I have put that funding forward is because I know how much it is appreciated that we have this place where people can go for support, and it's very rare I meet a farmer who hasn't had some contact with Farming Connect in their career.

In relation to Glastir, as I say, we are extending them. That is to provide certainty for contract holders. I will be looking to see if we are able to open any further windows, but, at the moment, the announcement I've made today is around extending Glastir contracts, because they need to be able to plan for withdrawal from that contract and, clearly, they were ending at the end of this year, so I thought it was very important to be able to provide that certainty.