World News | Farmers Rally Around Welsh Capital in Latest Protest over Proposed Environmental Rules
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. Tractors lined a road in the Welsh capital on Wednesday as thousands of farmers and their supporters thronged the parliament to protest proposed environmental protections that would be required to receive subsidies.
London, Feb 28 (AP) Tractors lined a road in the Welsh capital on Wednesday as thousands of farmers and their supporters thronged the parliament to protest proposed environmental protections that would be required to receive subsidies.
Protesters held signs reading, “No Farmers, No Food”, and “We Will Not Be Mooooved!” as leaders said some 5,500 farmworkers would lose their livelihoods if regulations are passed that would require them to plant trees on 10 per cent of their land and create wildlife habitat on another 10 per cent.
“I've got a two-year-old son sitting at home who loves every minute of being on the farm, and I am fighting for his future on that farm," said Ioan Humphreys, a fifth-generation farmer.
“Where do the people thinking up these schemes think their food is going to come from?"
The Cardiff demonstration was the latest to roil a European capital as farmers from as far afield as Athens, Warsaw, Madrid and Brussels have turned out by the thousands to protest everything from agricultural rules proposed by the European Union to Ukrainain food imports to Poland.
Other protests have taken place across Wales but the event on Wednesday was the largest with an estimated 3,000 joining forces to oppose proposals by the Welsh Labour Government to set land aside for environmental protection and to fight climate change.
Last week UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told farmers gathered outside the Welsh Conservative conference that “we've got your back".
A Welsh Government spokesperson said it was consulting with farmers and no decisions had been made on how rules will be rolled out.
“Farming is very important to Wales and our economy and we want a successful future for Welsh farming,” the spokesperson said. “We have had a seven-year conversation with farmers to design future farming support and we are committed to continuing to work with farmers to develop the sustainable farming scheme.” (AP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)