NFU CYMRU president John Davies has outlined the union’s ambitions for the future of Welsh food.

He made his views known during a speech at the NFU Conference at the ICC in Birmingham.

Opening the NFU Cymru ‘Food at the heart of our future’ breakout session, Mr Davies said the industry had the chance to reinforce Wales’ position as a world-leading brand synonymous with high quality, sustainable food production.

Rhyl Journal: NFU Cymru president John Davies speeking at the NFU Conference in BirminghamNFU Cymru president John Davies speeking at the NFU Conference in Birmingham

Mr Davies also used his speech to urge the Welsh Government to work with the industry to design a new Welsh agricultural policy that leads on food production and enables the sector to realise its ambitions.

Addressing conference attendees, Mr Davies said: “We have a unique opportunity to come together to position Wales as a country of high quality food production underpinned by a strong natural asset base under the Brand Wales umbrella.

"We have an opportunity to market and promote the full range of goods and services that Welsh farmers provide; food, environment, landscape and tourism.

“I look to Welsh Government to show ambition and to work with NFU Cymru in genuine partnership to deliver a post-Brexit agricultural policy in Wales that has food production at its heart.

"We want to develop a truly comprehensive and fully integrated policy providing stability to help family farming businesses so that they can drive their businesses forward; delivering efficient food production systems, meeting our climate change obligations whilst maintaining and enhancing our environment."

Mr Davies added: “I am immensely proud to be part of the 52,000 people in Wales working our land every day to provide the raw material for our Welsh food and drink industry, worth just shy of £7 billion and employing over 240,000 people.

"I would like to praise the work of Andy Richardson and the Welsh Food & Drink Board for leading a sector on the cusp of achieving its ambitious 30 per cent growth target.

“With a new food and drink strategy in development and work ongoing on a post-Brexit agricultural policy, this is the opportunity to bring our agriculture and food strategies together, agreeing targets for sustainable growth and ensuring full alignment of policy and growth targets from farm to fork."