Members of the Senedd are set to vote on the Agriculture (Wales) Bill today (Tuesday, June 27) as it reaches its final stage of scrutiny.
Should the vote pass, the bill will then reach Royal Assent – and if received, become law in Wales.
This would be the first-ever made-in-Wales agriculture bill, and would allow Welsh ministers to provide future support to farmers in Wales, i.e. through the creation of schemes, in the transitional post-Brexit and post-Common Agricultural Policy era.
It was first introduced by Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd Lesley Griffiths in September 2022.
Commenting ahead of today’s Senedd meeting, Griffiths said: “The Welsh Agriculture Bill provides us with an opportunity to develop a first-ever made-in-Wales system of support and legislation which works for Welsh farmers, the agriculture sector, our land, and Wales as a whole.
“Our farmers continue to deal with different challenges and this bill will provide an important framework on which future support for agriculture can be delivered, and outlines how we can keep farmers on the land to produce food sustainably whilst tackling the climate emergency.
“By working together, we can make a real difference to the future of our farmers and rural communities, by taking significant steps to tackle the climate and nature emergencies.”
The bill also includes a Programme for Government commitment for a ban on the use of snares, and glue traps.
“If passed, it would also see Wales become the first nation in the UK to introduce a complete ban on the use of snares and glue traps which are inhumane, causing a great deal of suffering and even kill species,” Griffiths added.
