The Farmers' Union of Wales has told a Welsh Assembly inquiry into the future of the Common Agricultural Policy that its work should continue until the new CAP is implemented in Wales sometime after 2013.

During todays evidence session, FUW president Emyr Jones said : "By creating this Task and Finish Group at an early stage in the new Assembly, the Environment and Sustainability Committee recognised the importance of the CAP to Wales."

He added :  "I trust that the timetable ahead will also be recognised by the Committee over the coming months and years, either through the creation of a full committee and a rolling inquiry, or the establishment of further task and finish groups without losing any expertise gained by committee members during the current inquiry."

In its evidence, the union told AMs that the current proposal to use claims made in 2014 as the basis for allocating future payment entitlements represented a threat for many businesses which was just as concerning as proposed greening measures.

Afterwards, Mr Jones said : "Our initial inquiries with FUW staff who complete thousands of Single Application forms confirm that the 2014 reference year represents a major threat for many, particularly in the tenanted sector."

Mr Jones said the FUW would be attending numerous meetings with EU officials and politicians over the coming days in order to highlight this and other concerns.

"We are committed to doing all we can to get the best deal for Wales' farmers.

"This is why the FUW has been looking in detail at CAP reform and its implications for Welsh agriculture for at least the past two and a half years, and has urged successive Welsh Governments to do the same. That work will continue and accelerate over the coming months."