Welsh Labour party members are voting to elect a new Leader, with the winning candidate set to be announced in the middle of March.
Welsh farming
While the decision as to who becomes next Welsh Labour leader, and therefore First Minister, rests with Labour party members, it is nonetheless a decision which has a bearing on all our lives here in Wales.
Every sector of the Welsh economy will have their own wish list for what they would like to see the new First Minister and his government prioritise - and Welsh farming is no different.
See also: It is a 'scary time' to be a farmer in Wales
Wales' First Minister
Indeed, the wish list from Welsh farmers will be quite considerable. Among those big-ticket items, we will be asking the new First Minister to actively address bTB in both cattle and wildlife sources, urge him to look again at the impractical and draconian NVZ regulations leaving Welsh farming hamstrung, as well as encouraging him to listen to the concerns thousands of farmers have raised with us in relation to the new Sustainable Farming Scheme proposals.
Net zero agriculture
We need the next First Minister to advocate for an allocation of funding to support Welsh agriculture from the UK Government that takes into account not only the very significant inflationary pressures we have seen over the last few years, but also with the level of ambition we have for farming in terms of meeting our ambition for Net Zero agriculture, maintaining and improving the farmed environment alongside securing the stable supply of safe, high quality and affordable food.
Welsh Government
A commitment by the next First Minister to ring-fence the allocation Welsh Government receives from Westminster for supporting farmers, and to use it for those purposes alone, would offer the sector a degree of certainty during what is a time of considerable upheaval.
See also: Wales' Rural Affairs Minister denies Sustainable Farming Scheme puts food security at risk
The Rural Affairs portfolio must remain as a full Cabinet role. The role should sit in Cabinet for some good reasons. Our farmers and rural businesses produce the raw ingredients which are the cornerstone of the £8.1 billion Welsh food and drink sector. In turn Wales food and drink supply chain employs 233,500 people, Wales biggest employer.
Sustainable Farming Scheme
It is vitally important that there is a voice around the Cabinet table who is able to make the case for the necessary budgetary allocation for Welsh farming, not only for the Sustainable Farming Scheme but also for the wide range of other expenditure within the rural affairs budget, not least the investment in infrastructure required to meet our environmental obligations but also a budget that allows us to have a genuine chance to eradicate bovine TB from our nation.
See also: Welsh farmers protest in Rhyl as First Minister Mark Drakeford visits the town
We have an ambition to continue to grow the already unparalleled economic, environmental, social and cultural contribution farming makes to Wales, to be world leaders in the production of climate friendly food, we want our next First Minister to share that ambition and work with us to make that a reality.
