The Welsh Conservative Group in the National Assembly have called on the Welsh Government to bring forward a strategy to respond to the challenges for rural Wales brought about by severe winter weather.
In a debate led by the Welsh Conservatives, the Party called for measures to ensure that the Welsh Government’s response to severe winter weather is more efficient and effective.
In late March and early April, mid and north Wales faced snow drifts of up to 15 feet, which left many rural communities stranded, hit agricultural incomes and left many farmers unable to bury their fallen stock.
Montgomeryshire Assembly Member, Russell George, raised the hardship that the snow had brought to both agriculture and tourism in mid Wales – the two largest sectors of the regional economy.
Commenting during the debate, Mr George said:
"The Government has responded to this crisis but the key question for us as AMs is whether or not the Government has responded quickly enough and whether that response has been sufficient.
"While farmers that I have spoken to have welcomed the change of heart that you Minister made last week on a wider package of support they still believe that you [Alun Davies] have been unsympathetic to their plight , compared to farmers in other parts of the UK who have been affected, unequal in your treatment.
"Let us not forget this is an animal welfare issue first and foremost, the health and well-being of a sheep in upland Wales is no different to a sheep in upland England, Scotland or Northern Ireland.
"Animals need to be treated in the same way and I think that is something that is not appreciated by the wider public and a point that has been missed by the Government.
"One farmer that I spoke to in Welshpool market on Monday said he had paid nearly £9,000 for fallen stock collectors to take carcasses away from his farm. However, if he was in England or Scotland, the Government would have paid for that process to take place from a specific designated fund set-aside. The farmer quite rightly wanted to know, where was the equity; where was the fairness.
"When you lose an entire sector of agriculture, it can take many, many years for that to return – we saw that after Foot-and-Mouth – and quite often it never returns."