James Evans says young farmers in his constituency are facing an uncertain future.

The Brecon and Radnorshire MS asked First Minister, Eluned Morgan, at the Senedd what she is doing to support them.

He said that with the removal of agricultural inheritance relief and business property relief threatening the future of family farms, young farmers are left facing an uncertain future.

Mr Evans said: “These changes were announced on October 30 last year. The Welsh Conservatives here led a debate on inheritance tax on November 27.

“And yet it took until January 28 for the Deputy First Minister to write an email to his Westminster colleagues - three months after the Welsh farming unions had raised their concerns about the changes.

“Does your Government truly grasp the devastating impact that this delay and inaction will have on our rural communities and our young farmers?

“What urgent steps will this Government take to protect our generational farms from the UK Labour Government's changes and to protect the future of young farmers in Brecon and Radnorshire?

“You'll probably mention money for schemes, but without our farmers and without those farms there, those schemes aren't worth the paper they're written on.”

Ms Morgan said the Wales Federation of Young Farmers Clubs has received £236,000 from the strategic voluntary youth work organisation grant as well as the Cymraeg 2050 Welsh language promotion grant in 2024-25.

She told Mr Evans: “The Welsh language grant includes funding of £1,100 to both the Brecknock Federation and Radnor Federation.

“The Deputy First Minister raised this issue in meetings prior to that email being sent.

“There is a substantial amount of support through Farming Connect for people to work out how it is possible to work with the next generation of farmers.

“You might write off the sustainable farming scheme. Actually, it's fundamental to the future of farming in this country.

“It is important that we have had those reassurances from the UK Government that that will be respected in relation to inheritance tax.”

Speaking after the debate, Mr Evans said: “With the impending removal of Agricultural Inheritance Relief and Business Property Relief, many of our young farmers have been left facing an uncertain future – not knowing whether their family farm will still exist when the time comes to take it over.

“It’s bewildering that the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary took three full months to write to his Labour colleagues in Westminster after the Farming Unions first raised concerns, and a further two months after the Welsh Conservatives raised the matter for debate on November 27. This just further proves Welsh Labour are not friends of our farmers.

“The Welsh Labour Government can say all they want about their support schemes, but without our generational farmers, those schemes will never succeed. I’ve asked what they plan to do to protect our family farms and ensure the young generation of farmers stay in the industry – but like everything the Welsh Government does, their response was all words with no promises of action.”