FARMING unions in Wales have set out their priorities for the new Prime Minister.

As Liz Truss settles into the role of Prime Minister, NFU Cymru has written to her to underline the union’s five policy priorities for the new government.

NFU Cymru president Aled Jones said: “NFU Cymru would like to see a firm commitment from the Prime Minister to a multi­-annual funding agreement for Welsh farming.

“Given the sector’s reliance on export markets, not least for our internationally renowned PGI Welsh Beef and Lamb, we would like to see the Prime Minister ensure that our routes to our major export markets, the EU in particular, are not inhibited by any barriers to trade.

“The industry’s concerns over the impact of imports permitted in future trade deals – in particular those already agreed with the likes of Australia and New Zealand – are well documented. We want to see the Prime Minister set out a plan outlining how their trade policy will support the growth agenda we have for our sector.

“Our farmers are able to play a leading role in providing the renewable energy to power a greener Britain, but constraints within current infrastructure are holding them back from realising that ambition.

“The impacts of the current energy crisis are hitting everyone in society and businesses are also being hit hard.

“Farming businesses are not immune from these impacts and we are hearing of members having to swallow exorbitant costs, which are predicted to rise higher later in the year.

“It is imperative that the new Prime Minister takes swift action to work with regulators and energy providers to address the rising costs affecting UK households and businesses, as well.”

FUW president Glyn Roberts has also written to the Prime Minister, saying: “At the Royal Welsh Show in July, the FUW launched a five point plan which we believe should be implemented to tackle impacts of the Ukraine war and other factors on farmers, food producers and consumers.

“The UK Government should incentivise on-farm renewable energy production in order to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and imported energy and provide financial support for critical industries to ensure that our farmers are placed on an equal footing with farmers in the EU.

“It is also essential that Wales’ food and farming sectors must be underpinned in future by the restoration of the annual budget the Welsh Government receives for agriculture from the UK Treasury, as was promised in the 2019 UK Conservative Party Manifesto,” said Mr Roberts.

“These are just some of the core concerns we have in the immediate and longer term, but I stress that the FUW is committed to working with you and the UK Government in terms of seeking to tackle the major challenges that lie ahead, and we look forward to meeting with you to discuss these issues in due course.”