Member of Parliament for Clwyd South, Simon Baynes MP, has expressed his disappointment after the Welsh Labour Government put Wales’ farming sector under threat last week – by pushing ahead with plans to designate all of Wales as a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ).
The Welsh Labour Government said it had given Welsh farmers four years to take steps on agricultural pollution but, with incidents reportedly averaging more than three a week, said it will impose severe new regulations from the beginning of April. The Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) and NFU Cymru have also criticised the decision.
Simon Baynes MP said:
“At a time when our country needs to focus on rebuilding from the pandemic, it’s ridiculous that the Welsh Labour Government are targeting a crucial industry and hitting our farmers when they’re down. This will have a serious, negative impact on the industry here in Clwyd South and across the rest of Wales.
“It’s especially worse because the Welsh Government Environment Minister, Lesley Griffiths MS, had previously said in the Senedd Chamber on seven separate occasions that she wouldn’t look at doing this while we were still going through the pandemic. The Welsh Labour Environment Minister must reverse this decision immediately, or face further alienating Welsh farmers.”