CEREDIGION farmers headed to a NFU Cymru political forum earlier this week to grill prospective candidates ahead of the National Assembly for Wales election on May 5.

Bovine TB eradication, the importance of timely delivery of the Basic Payment Scheme to support Welsh farmers during the current prolonged period of price volatility and the upcoming referendum on the UK’s future membership of the EU were just some of the issues that the prospective candidates for Ceredigion were quizzed about.

Prospective candidates included Dr Felix Aubel, Conservative; Elizabeth Evans, Liberal Democrat; Elin Jones, Plaid Cymru, Iwan Wyn Jones, Labour and Brian Williams, Green Party. Each candidate in turn outlined their party’s plans for the agricultural industry in Ceredigion and beyond.

Ceredigion NFU Cymru Chairman Huw Davies, who farms in Beulah near Newcastle Emlyn, chaired the meeting and said he was pleased that NFU Cymru members had been given an opportunity to quiz the candidates.

Mr Davies said, “We’ve had devolution in Wales for nearly 20 years now with a number of areas, including agriculture, being devolved to the National Assembly for Wales. We live in a very rural constituency and the elected Assembly Member for Ceredigion will have a very important role to play in representing the interests of local farmers on a number of key issues.

“We need the next Welsh Government to understand how important farming and the agricultural industry are to a thriving future rural economy. We need the next Welsh Government to help create an environment that will encourage investment, innovation and attract new entrants and thereby help secure the industry’s future. Our elected Assembly Members need to work together to help make this happen.”

During the debate NFU Cymru members also emphasised to each of the candidates the importance to the industry for the next Welsh Government to implement a holistic approach to eradicating bovine TB, which includes the active control of badgers in areas where the disease is endemic.

Mr Davies added, “Bovine TB presents the biggest threat to cattle keepers in Wales and we need a holistic policy that tackles all sources of infection. With the recent postponement by Welsh Government of the badger vaccination programme in the Intensive Action Area, as a result of a global shortage of BCG vaccine, no political party in Wales can hide behind badger vaccination as a viable policy option. We look to the elected Assembly Member for Ceredigion to commit their support to a TB eradication strategy that removes disease from both cattle and wildlife.”

Mr Davies concluded, “We had a good turnout at the meeting and a number of excellent questions were put to the candidates on a broad range of subjects and it was interesting to hear what they all had to say. I hope that those farmers who attended are now able to get a better understanding of each of the parties’ agricultural policies and that this will help to inform their decision at the ballot box.”