On the Monday morning of the Royal Welsh show, Wales YFC Rural Affairs hosted a successful question and answer session at a seminar attended by Commissioner Dacian Cioloş ― the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development.

A packed room of YFC members and the general public listened intently to the Commissioner who spoke about the chapter dedicated to Young Farmers in the proposal for the next generation of the Common Agricultural Policy. He spoke of the importance of involving more young people in the industry and how the Commission intended to make top-up payments to young farmers mandatory within Member States to ensure that young farmers in some Member States were not at a competitive disadvantage.

The seminar also included a presentation from members of Wales YFC on why farming is so important and what barriers are restricting young people from living and working in rural areas and the farming industry.

Speaking on behalf of the committee, the Wales YFC Rural Affairs Chairman, Marc Jones, said: "We are very pleased that the Commissioner was able to accept our invitation. These visits are tremendous for our profile and also prove that Wales YFC has a high status and is respected by a number of national and international bodies. This in turn gives each of our members a further confidence boost regarding the importance of the organisation to which they belong. Wales YFC have close links with the European Agriculture and Rural Development Committee. Last year I was fortunate to be given the opportunity to attend a hearing on the Future of Europe's Young Farmers, held in Brussels last year, and the committee's vice chairman, Jonathan Williams, is the Wales YFC representative on the European Council of Young Farmers.

I am very glad that many of our members and supporters came along to support this opportunity to receive an update from the Commissioner for Agriculture within the European Union."