NFU Cymru welcomes Senedd committee report recommendations on Welsh red meat levy body
NFU Cymru has today (Wednesday 3rd September) broadly welcomed the recommendations made by a Senedd committee in its report on Wales’ red meat levy body.
The union has highlighted that many of the recommendations in the Senedd’s Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs (ETRA) Committee report on Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC) – Meat Promotion Wales (MPW) match the points put forward by NFU Cymru in written and oral evidence provided to the inquiry which preceded today’s report.
In particular, the union supports the need for the levy body to have greater accountability to levy payers, as well as advocating for adequate funding to ensure the continued growth in value and volume of sales of PGI Welsh Lamb and Beef and Welsh Pork, both in domestic and overseas markets.
NFU Cymru Livestock Board Chair Rob Lewis said:
“HCC has a valuable and important role to play supporting and promoting the red meat industry in Wales, successful delivery of its remit is of paramount important to the long-term sustainability of the majority of farming businesses in Wales.
“We welcome the committee’s recommendation around giving levy payers more direct influence over the governance of the organisation. Currently the body is almost entirely funded by the levy collected from producers and processors and as such it is imperative that levy payers feel they have genuine accountability for how the money they provide through the levy is spent. The organisation requires a level of independence from Welsh Government, with levy payers actively involved in the appointment process to the board. We would suggest that consideration needs to be given to the industry (farming unions and processor associations) having permanent seats on the board going forward.”
NFU Cymru also supports the committee’s view that Welsh Government needs to set out how it intends to continue funding HCC, or how it expects HCC to operate financially.
Mr Lewis said:
“In our evidence to the inquiry, we highlighted examples from other countries, including Ireland, where government provides significant support to its levy boards. Without Welsh Government funding then our ability to compete in both domestic and overseas markets is under threat from competitors whose governments provide direct support to the development, marketing and promotion of their red meat sector.
“The committee have been clear its report and recommendations are forward looking and NFU Cymru stands ready to work with HCC, Welsh Government and industry partners to take forward these recommendations. There has never been a more important time for the red meat levy to be used to develop, promote and market red meat from Wales. We face a number of concurrent threats with critical concerns over the declining numbers of both sheep and specialist beef production in Wales, which must be addressed. Despite these challenges, there are great opportunities for Wales to utilise its unique climatic and agronomic conditions to place Welsh red meat at the forefront of global sustainable livestock production systems. NFU Cymru has an ambition to grow both the value and volume of our world-renowned PGI Welsh Beef and Lamb and by doing so this will secure the future of producers, processors and our rural communities. We see HCC, as an industry-led body, being a vital component in helping to achieve our ambition.”
