Deputy First Minister tells conference he will 'always stand up for a fair and sustainable future for farmers'

Speaking at the Oxford Farming Conference 2025, the Deputy First Minister with responsibility for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies outlines how we must act today to prepare and help ensure the future of the industry is robust and secure.

The focus of OFC25 is on “Facing Change, Finding Opportunity”, highlighting how today’s challenges in agriculture can spark groundbreaking solutions. Speaking from OFC25, the Deputy First Minister, said:
“There are a range of challenges facing the industry, from energy prices to animal diseases and more. And it’s no coincidence that my portfolio includes both Rural Affairs, and Climate Change. The changing climate and extreme weather already affect Welsh farms, and their soils, waterways and livestock.

“These changes will intensify and in ten, twenty, let alone fifty years, the farmers of the future will face even more challenging conditions. We must act today to prepare for these impacts and help ensure the future of the industry is robust and secure.

“The transition to a decarbonised economy will be a challenge across all of society – and that includes farming. But it also brings opportunities. The Welsh Government is committed to working side by side with farmers to reap those benefits.

“And for me, that commitment is personal – it’s part of how I see the world. As a young lad growing up in South West Wales, I would look out from our house and see the steelworks and farmland beyond as part of the same landscape and the same community of people who lived and worked together. Farming is part of the fabric of Wales, our jobs and our way of life. I have always strived to be on the side of working people, and that includes people who work hard day in, day out, looking after land and livestock and producing the food we eat. That’s why I’ll always stand up for a fair and sustainable future for farmers.”

The Welsh Government announced updated outline plans for the Sustainable Farming Scheme in November.
The changes address the needs of Welsh farmers, while supporting the ongoing sustainable production of food, as well as climate change and nature commitments.

Partnership has been key to developing proposals so the scheme is accessible and achievable and the Deputy First Minister thanked farming stakeholders for their significant contribution so far. The final Scheme decision will be made later this year, based on further discussions at the Ministerial Roundtable and evidence including the economic analysis and impact assessment.

The Deputy First Minister, continued: “Sustainable production food has always been at the heart of SFS proposals, and it remains so. And we must make meaningful progress on adapting and mitigating the climate and nature emergency. We are determined to design a scheme that does both; we have to take steps now to protect our future food producing capacity in light of climate impacts.

“Our plan is for the SFS to be introduced in 2026, and there is so much for Welsh farming to gain, we can shape a flourishing sector where jobs and businesses are resilient and secure, which helps to protect and restore the environment, and continues to put food on the tables of households across the country.

“We will continue to collaborate with the sector and I remain committed to listening to and working with our stakeholders. By working together we can ensure a prosperous and sustainable farming industry now and for future generations of Welsh farmers.”