“In setting out the likely entry criteria for the future Sustainable Farming Scheme, Welsh Government ministers, and the First Minister himself, recently reaffirmed the likely requirement for farming enterprises to have 10% of their farmed land under tree cover, and a further 10% as habitat land. In addition, there is a strong possibility that farming businesses will need to implement a range of carbon sequestration methods on land they manage to mitigate their own emissions, and /or will look to undertake habitat management work in line with support schemes to ensure sustainability.
Local authorities also have ambitions in relation to afforestation, along with aspirations and targets for emissions reduction and mitigation.
Will the cabinet member for resources provide reassurance that Carmarthenshire County Council will NOT seek to use land that forms part of farmed council holdings for afforestation projects to achieve its own ambitions or meet its own targets, and ensure that farming and primary production enterprises run by tenants on the council’s rural estate have the best possible chance to be sustainable and continue to make a valuable contribution to our rural communities in this county?”
Minutes:
[Note: Councillor C. A. Davies, having earlier declared an interest in this item, re-declared her interest and left the meeting during the deliberations. ]
Question by Councillor Jones:
“In setting out the likely entry criteria for the future Sustainable Farming Scheme, Welsh Government ministers, and the First Minister himself, recently reaffirmed the likely requirement for farming enterprises to have 10% of their farmed land under tree cover, and a further 10% as habitat land. In addition, there is a strong possibilitythat farming businesses will need to implement a range of carbon sequestration methods on land they manage to mitigate their own emissions, and /or will look to undertake habitat management work in line with support schemes to ensure sustainability.
Local authorities also have ambitions in relation to afforestation, along with aspirations and targets for emissions reduction and mitigation.
Will the Cabinet Member for Resources provide reassurance that Carmarthenshire County Council will NOT seek to use land that forms part offarmed council holdings for afforestation projects to achieve its own ambitions or meet its own targets, and ensure that farming and primary production enterprises run by tenants on the council’s rural estate have the best possible chance to be sustainable and continue to make a valuable contribution to our rural communities in this county?”
Response by Councillor Alun Lenny – Cabinet Member for Resources:-
Thank you Chair and thank you Hefin for the question. Different to the previous matter, this is a matter that we do have complete control over. To provide context and remind members, the Council does own nearly 2,500 acres of land on 23 farms – and that has been for more than a century. In the past there has been a tendency to let farms to new tenants as they become vacant, with little regard for land use.
Now, I grew up on a small farm, working the land until I was 24 years old – back in the age of small bales but agriculture has changed considerably since then and continues to do so. Therefore, the council is now discussing the use of every farm individually as the tenancy comes to an end, by consulting and considering how we can be sustainable to the new tenant and how we can be of benefit to the rural community. There is one, for example, we have started a pilot project with other partners to grow vegetables and fruit – as we've heard earlier this morning.
We also want to create woodland on various land owned by the Council to meet the target of mitigating carbon and the effect it has on the environment. Because what's at stake of course is the future of humankind. In a powerful speech at COP28 King Charles warned this: ‘’The world is dreadfully far off track on addressing climate change and unless we rapidly repair and restore nature's harmony and balance, our economy and survivability will be imperilled.’’ I never thought I’d be quoting the King in this Chamber!
Planting trees is one small part of restoring nature's harmony, but that is not by destroying entire farms by large companies for commercial profit. To answer Hefin's question plainly, this council that administers 23 farms on behalf of the people of Carmarthenshire, wants to do its utmost to ensure that tenants and their families have every opportunity to make a decent living on sustainable farms. If that means transferring mitigating rights to the tenant like planting a woodland and taking other mitigation measures then that’s fine. I hope that answers the question Chair.
There was no supplementary question.