Last week, we kicked off the Spring party conference season by attending the Welsh Conservative Conference in Llandudno, where we outlined our key manifesto priorities for the next Senedd and Welsh Government. In the weeks ahead, we look forward to continuing discussions with representatives from across the political spectrum.

Our message is clear and consistent: Welsh family farms need stability, sustainability, and long-term policy certainty. At a time of significant change and challenge for the agricultural sector, it is essential that the next government provides the clarity and support required to safeguard the future of family farming in Wales.

At its core, our manifesto calls for continued collaboration to deliver a fair and fit-for-purpose Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS). The FUW is urging the next Welsh Government to work closely with the industry to deliver a scheme that secures a thriving and sustainable future for family farms, including a funding uplift from the current Universal-layer budget of £238 million to fully mitigate the Scheme’s estimated economic impacts, an index-linked budget to provide certainty for the future and a five-year financial framework to ensure businesses can make well-informed decisions with confidence.

Our manifesto also emphasises the need to strengthen Wales’ food system, highlighting the importance of production, processing, and public procurement.

The continued missed opportunity over public procurement in Wales was outlined last month following a recent report by the Countryside Alliance. It revealed that Welsh councils are heavily reliant, for example, on imported poultry for school meals with Merthyr Tydfil reporting 99.35% from countries such as China, Thailand, and Brazil, and Conwy 94% of its chicken being imported from outside the EU. These findings highlight our concerns over food standards, sustainability and the shocking failure to support local producers.

The FUW has long campaigned for a Welsh public procurement programme that truly shortens supply chains, strengthens circular economies and champions Welsh produce across all public and food service sectors. It’s not a surprise therefore that one of our key manifesto demands is to deliver a sea-change in local procurement ensuring that local food and producers are prioritised throughout Wales.

Public procurement represents a huge opportunity for Welsh farmers, not just in schools, but also in hospitals and the wider public sector. By prioritising Welsh produce, the next Welsh Government can support local jobs, reduce carbon emissions and create a resilient, sustainable food system. We will continue to encourage politicians to seize this opportunity and make a meaningful, lasting difference for the families who grow, process, and serve food across Wales.