Wales farming protests: Changes will be made to policy, says minister

The prime minister joined protesting farmers in Llandudno, Conwy county, on Friday

Wales' farming minister says "changes will be made" to the post-Brexit agriculture policy following protests.

Lesley Griffiths said the Welsh government accepted changes were needed, but she wanted to hear "all the responses" to the consultation first.

Protesters are unhappy with proposed subsidy changes, which require 10% of agricultural land to be used for trees.

NFU Cymru said Ms Griffiths's comments alone would not be enough to reassure farmers.

• Farmers drive tractors to Labour leadership debate

• Rishi Sunak backs protesting Welsh farmers

• Farmers fear backing government's green changes

Ms Griffiths conceded the "majority of people" were unhappy with the proposals but said she did not want to pre-empt the consultation into the policy, the Sustainable Farming Scheme, which ends on 7 March.

"Officials are already saying to me, 'there will have to be changes made' but I want to look at it holistically," she told BBC Politics Wales.

Lesley Griffiths conceded a "majority of people" are unhappy with the Welsh government's proposals

"We need all those responses. We need all the feedback and we need to look at what can be done," she said.

Ms Griffiths added the "whole point" of the "seven-year conversation" the government has had with farmers was to ensure sustainable food production and to help fight climate change.

Abi Reader, deputy president of farming union NFU Cymru, told the programme: "We are yet to see any reassurance from Welsh government that anything is going to change.

"We are desperate to see some reassurances from Welsh government that they are listening and they will change things because at the moment there is a huge swell of anger out there, which is headed for the Senedd."

Abi Reader said unions want to explore alternative options with the Welsh government

Ms Reader said no progress was made at a meeting between unions and Welsh government ministers last week, which she described as "so disappointing".

Unions wanted reassurances of regular meetings with ministers "to continue dialogue" and the appointment of a "scientific advisory panel" in order to explore alternatives to planting trees.

She said: "Its making sure that we put stability back into farming businesses. That is what farmers want to see an overall.

"We need a model that is universal. It's universal for every single farmer in Wales to access."

Plaid Cymru Senedd member Llyr Gruffydd told the programme there needed to be "a much stronger signal from government that it isn't just going to plough on with these proposals."

He added the 10% tree cover policy needed reviewing, calling it an "arbitrary figure".

"That one size fits all approach does not suit all farms, we need to be much more creative and much more flexible," he said.

Earlier this week, First Minister Mark Drakeford angered farmers by saying it was not up to farmers how subsidies were spent and blaming those who voted for Brexit for the changes to subsidies.

Ms Reader labelled the comments "very inflammatory" and argued farmers were the "best placed people to help guide the process".

Andrew RT Davies, the Welsh Conservatives' Senedd leader, called the first minister's rhetoric "absolutely scandalous".

"Pitting people against each other on such a basis is something that the First Minister needs to reflect on," he said.

• JUNE: VOICE OF A SILENT TWIN: The tragic story of June, her sister and their life in Broadmoor

• THE LEARNERS IS BACK: It's a new term for Jonesy's merry band of students