Page 50 - Regional Employment & Skills Plan_2019__WEB

50
3.4 Food and Land Based
The Sector
The Food and Land Management sector is a significant part of the Welsh economy encompassing a large part of the food and drink supply chain and includes primary production, agriculture, as well as the manufacturing and preparation of food and drink and the forestry, trees and timber and horticulture subsectors. This is an area where traditionally the region has a strong presence and has a number of established brands and producers. The Food and Drink sector in Wales is worth £6.1 billion and 223,000 people are employed within the sector in Wales.
Farming’s contribution to the economic, environmental, cultural and social well-being of Wales is unique and unparalleled as stated by NFU Cymru’s latest report. It goes on to state that;
• ‘The continued supply of safe, affordable, high quality food, trusted by consumers. Without domestic production we would undermine our food security, relying on imports produced to different environmental and welfare standards and under food safety systems over which we have no control.
• The raw materials for a Welsh food industry that employs nearly a quarter of a million people and is worth over £6 billion to the economy of Wales – Wales biggest employer.
• Our cherished countryside - farmers care for and manage over 80% of the land area of Wales and have a key role in maintaining and enhancing our natural environment and treasured Welsh landscape; crucially underpinning other strategically important sectors to Wales such as tourism.
• Thriving rural communities - Welsh farming provides direct and indirect employment and drives economic growth in rural communities and is embedded in local communities unlike any other industry
• Welsh farmers are key promoters and protectors of our culture, heritage and the Welsh language’.52
The region supports 36,048 jobs in the agricultural sector, its’ strategic importance is substantiated by the fact that this figure is 305% above the national average. Projections indicate that the sector will experience a significant growth of 6.5% between 2019 and 2022, compared with national projected growth which is at 1.1%.
Employment is largest in the following occupations:
• Farmers (16,032)
• Farm workers (5,413)
• Managers and proprietors in agriculture and horticulture (1,271)
• Gardeners and landscape gardeners (1,031)
• Fishing and other elementary agriculture occupations (589)
52 https://www.nfu-cymru.org.uk/nfu-cymru/documents/domestic-agricultural-policy-cymru-online/
53 At the minimum employing a total of 2,000 individuals.
Regional Employment & Skills Plan South West & Mid Wales
Sector Profiles