Over the past few weeks, the concerns, and fears of our rural communities here in Wales have been at the forefront of my work, writes Jane Dodds MS.

Our villages and farming communities are the heartbeat of Wales, and yet they are facing challenges from a lack of digital connectivity, school and GP surgery closures and a lack of transport links. 

Combine this with cuts to rural investment schemes, farming budgets and funds for local councils, and we will see a heightened rural decline.

Our farming community have always been at the forefront of feeding our nation, supporting us through countless crises be it wars or pandemics. 

And now in these uncertain times when the future of farms across Wales have been thrown into doubt, the tables have turned and now it is our farmers who need our help.

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We owe our farmers a great debt, one which cannot be repaid if we fail to act now.

The UK Conservative government, through their dodgy Brexit dealings and general disregard for rural communities, have shown their intent on evading this debt by offering nothing but empty words and vague promises.

Meanwhile in the Bay, Welsh Labour and their Plaid Cymru partners are too busy leading farmers on with unworkable schemes whilst at the same time tying them down with bureaucratic red tape.

Welsh Labour cannot possibly argue that their schemes are “sustainable” when they offer farmers nothing but an uncertain future.

The current plans being laid out on the table by Welsh Labour offer no viable solution to the troubles faced by our farming community, proving once again that the Welsh Government have failed to get any sort of grip on the crisis at hand.
With no clear answers being given, many farmers are rightfully worried about what the future will bring.

Our farmers are rightfully angry at the mismanagement of their future wellbeing, as seen by the protests in Newtown over the weekend.

The Welsh Government cannot afford to allow these tensions to boil over unchecked, for the sake of our rural communities they must sit down and listen.

We cannot afford to abandon rural Wales, we must invest in our rural economy while at the same time provide sustainable support for the agricultural industry.