Nigel Owens, a former Welsh rugby union referee, said he is prepared to “drive a tractor down the M4” to the Senedd over a controversial environmental policy which will change the way farming is funded.
Agricultural unions across the country have expressed their concern over the Welsh government’s proposal to introduce the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS), worried about the long-term future of the industry with new regulations.
Owens, 52, who now farms cattle, stood in front of 3,000 farmers last month to tell them “to stand up against policies that are not fair”.
Addressing the large crowd in Carmarthen, where his farm is situated, Owens was surrounded by banners that read “enough is enough”.
Nigel Owens said he is prepared to drive a tractor to the Welsh government to protest against their farming policies
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And the problems are being felt nationwide. Earlier this week, a flock of farmers turned up outside the office of Welsh Minister for Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths in Wrexham to protest against the polarising proposed regulations.
One man was arrested after police were called to the scene outside Griffiths’ constituency office on Rhosddu Road.
Griffiths acknowledged that peaceful protests were legal, but condemned criminal damage and said the arrest was “unacceptable”.
Speaking to The Times, Owens, who retired from referring in 2020, said: “Unless we stand up and show we are not going to take this any more we are just going to be trodden over. It’s gotten to the stage where we can’t stand by and do nothing. I am not going to let other people go [and protest] and stand by and do nothing. We have to stick together.”
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Nigel Owens, who retired from refereeing in 2020, now farms cattle
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Asked if he would drive his tractor to Cardiff in protest, he replied: “Yes, I have a tractor and I would. The people in the Welsh government, I hope they are decent people who will sit and listen and I hope that drive to Cardiff won’t need to happen, but if nothing is going to change and it’s going to happen, I would stand up and take that drive.”
The SFS includes a controversial tree-planting target for farmers, who must divert 10 per cent of agricultural land to trees and 10 per cent to wildlife habitats to qualify for government subsidies.
Many farms depend on the subsidies to stay afloat, and unions have warned the planting targets are unachievable and put businesses at risk.
Consultations between officials and farmers over details of the scheme have been rumbling on for months – with a third, final, meeting on the scheme still in progress.
And a damning Welsh government report said the proposed plans could see 5,500 rural jobs disappear and farm incomes drop by a staggering £199 million.
Farmers across Europe have been staging protests against EU regulations on the agricultural industry
REUTERSA Welsh government spokesperson said: “The Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) aims to secure food production systems, keep farmers farming the land, safeguard the environment and address the urgent call of the climate and nature emergency.
“We have run an extensive co-design exercise in developing the SFS and we thank the hundreds of farmers who have been involved.
“The final consultation on the scheme is still open and we encourage everyone to reply with their views by March 7 – no final decision will be taken on the scheme until after the consultation has taken place and we will listen carefully to all views.”
Protests over farming regulations have also erupted in many EU countries.
Over the past two months, farmers across the continent have been staging protests against their governments. Many struggle financially and say their jobs are threatened as food retailers are trying to bring down prices after a period of high inflation.
The protests began in France and have since spread to Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and now Spain, with all saying that they are not being paid enough, are being choked by taxes and green rules, and face unfair competition from abroad.