Making a living from the land has always been difficult. But farmers are the life blood of our communities. Without their ceaseless labours and devotion to their land, crops, herds and flocks, we would go hungry.

But the farming community is angry - and rightly so. And never before has the government in Cardiff Bay been so out of touch with those that are the backbone of this nation.

If the policy wonks in Cardiff Bay have their way, farmers will be forced to turn 10 per cent of their holdings over to trees. Productive land. Profitable land. And instead of being used for growing or grazing, that land will become unproductive. Unprofitable. Growing trees.

No one disputes that we need more trees. But we need more people to go into farming. The Welsh Government ought to be encouraging agriculture as a viable option. Right now, it is treating farmers like dirt. And that’s not good enough. For generations, families have worked the land, raising crops, herding to make ends meet through lifestyles that those without their dedication to the land fail to fully understand.

But right now, the Welsh Government is doing a great disservice to the agricultural sector. None other faces the same restrictions. None other is being asked to give up 10 per cent of their potential earnings in the name of long-term environmentalism.

The Sustainable Farming Scheme is critical for the future of Welsh agriculture and young farmers need to be encouraged to grow food that is in world demand.

But it’s critical that arbitrary rules not to curtail what Welsh farmers have done over the years. Income foregone is not an option when the scheme is demanding that farmers do more.

There is a massive disconnect between the farming fraternity and its masters in Cardiff Bay. That needs to change and change quickly. Farmers and the agricultural sector cannot fail, nor can farmers be priced off their lands, unable to make a living.

The reality is that there is an array of solutions to climate change, rather than a blanket 10 per cent tree cover target.

Right now, around 30 per cent of Welsh emissions come from energy production, about double the footprint for agriculture.

What Cardiff Bay and its bureaucrats need to understand is that farmers are a key part of the future - but farming needs to be sustainable. And that means being able to make money by having all their lands productive.