Glastir Stocktake 'A desperately missed opportunity' – William Powell AM
William Powell, Welsh Liberal Democrat Rural Affairs Spokesperson has described the Welsh Government's Glastir Stocktake as a 'desperately missed opportunity.' The report follows several years of failure and mismanagement by successive Welsh Government- and advertised itself as a listening exercise, offering Welsh farmers the opportunity to tell the Minister 'what they think'.
William Powell, Assembly Member for Mid and West Wales, said:
"While there are elements of this report that I welcome, it is clear that the problems with Glastir are far from resolved. What was touted as an opportunity for Welsh farmers to contribute to an effective agri-environmental scheme, has ended up as little more than a report hectoring that very community on why the Welsh Government will continue to ignore their concerns.
The extensive report states that there will be no further revisions to the thus far unpopular Glastir scheme and that no opportunities will be taken to allow farmers to contribute its implementation.
I was pleased to hear the Deputy Minister Alun Davies hint at some much needed relief for Less Favoured Area (LFA) in the Autumn (a need excluded from Glastir via a legal technicality). However, the Welsh Government continues to show scant interest in listening constructively to the farmers of Wales and the Farming Unions who represent their interests."