Farmers protests: Tories and Plaid call for funding plan axe

The Welsh government's Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) faces opposition from the Conservative Party and Plaid Cymru, which have demanded its cancellation after farmer protests in Cardiff Bay.

The proposed plan mandates that farmers dedicate 20% of their land to environmental purposes — split evenly between trees and wildlife habitats.

In the Senedd, a vote to scrap the scheme ended in a 26-26 tie, which, per procedure, was resolved by the deputy presiding officer voting in the government's favor, leaving the SFS intact.

Similarly, an attempted amendment by the government also ended in a tie. Neither vote would have been compulsory for the government to follow.

Conservative rural affairs spokesperson Samuel Kurtz argued in debate that the SFS name is so discredited among farmers it must be completely replaced with a new, genuinely collaborative design.

Reflecting on historical worker challenges, Plaid Cymru's Llyr Gruffydd likened the farmers' struggle to the miners' strike 40 years ago, emphasizing support for rural livelihoods — a sentiment Labour's Alun Davies echoed, pledging never to let down rural Wales.

Despite these difficulties, the leader of Plaid Cymru, Rhun ap Iorwerth, affirmed the party's commitment to its cooperation agreement with the Welsh Labour ministers, pledging to negotiate future agricultural arrangements in Wales.

In the debate, the Welsh government accused the UK government of breaking its commitment to match EU farming funds, alleging a nearly £250 million cut impacting rural investments.

The Welsh government's Rural Affairs Minister, Lesley Griffiths, faced criticism regarding her inconsistent statements about a £20 million fund to aid farmers with water pollution regulations.

The opposition also unsuccessfully backed a Plaid Cymru motion — which failed to pass — urging the Welsh government to revise its approach to combating bovine TB.