The Welsh government has been warned that its proposed Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) threatens the future of two important ram sales.
Held annually in Mid Wales, the Wales & Border Ram Sales have a turnover of more than £2 million and provide 200 part time jobs for the local community.
Organised by the National Sheep Association (NSA) for over 45 years, both sales have helped to improve the Welsh sheep breeding flock.
But now the body has warned the Welsh government that its future vision for the industry, as part of the proposed SFS, could be 'catastrophic' for them.
Concerns centre on the government’s current proposals set out in the SFS consultation, which, according to its own impact assessment, could mean a projected reduction of 122,000 livestock units across Wales in the next five years.
NSA Wales & Border executive director, Jane Smith said: "This will hit not just farmers, but allied industries too and could lead to the demise of Welsh farming as we know it.”
The sales attract vendors and buyers from across the UK and beyond, providing quality, veterinary inspected rams within easy reach of Welsh buyers.
Ms Smith said this in turn continually improves the Welsh breeding flock, helping to maintain the PGI status of its lamb.
She explained that the Welsh meat and meat products sector is worth £1.4 billion and vital to rural Wales in terms of the economy, culture and landscape.
She said: "The NSA Wales & Border ram sales play an important role in contributing to the business of several local auctioneers.
"Last year’s main sale at the Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells had a £2,050,929 turnover, while August’s early sale had a turnover of £104,786."
The sales significance were underlined when the Princess Royal attended the 40th anniversary sale in 2018, the Queen Mother having supported them from 1981 to the mid 1990s.
It comes after farmers created a symbolic display of 5,500 pairs of wellies on the steps of the Senedd to represent the jobs forecasted to be lost through the SFS proposals.
Each of the 5,500 wellingtons represents an agricultural job that is projected to be lost based on 100% take up of the SFS, as based on figures from the government’s own impact assessment.
Last week, over 10,000 farmers took to the streets of Cardiff recently over rising anger at the government's vision for the industry.
