Page 24 - Carmarthenshire Skills Report 2024

Farming
The majority of workers in this sector are
farmers and farm workers making up around
75% of the sectors workforce. The concern here
is that 42% of farm workers are over the age of
55, which creates a huge risk for skill loss,
mentorship and succession planning.
Up until 2018 there has been a steady rise in
the sector jobs across the county, however
since 2018, there has been a 20.5% drop in
jobs. There are multiple possible reasons for
this, data taken from Farming Facts and Figures
Wales 2022 1, identifies all livestock production
in Wales has increased since 2011 (except for
Beef Sector which shows a slight decline)
However the report also highlights that the
labour % share on holdings has decreased over
the same period. This could indicate that
automation and more streamlined systems
have been implemented.
Other reasons cited for the decline in farm
workers include:
• Farmers families encourage to pursue other
occupations
• Small farm economic viability
• Perception of the role
• Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS)
legislation / funding
• Change of land use for solar, wind or carbon
capture
• Changes to funding models
Obviously, these reasons are more concerning
as this suggests farm closures or diversification
to other markets away from food production.
Further changes will be coming soon, with
Agriculture being the largest carbon emitting
sector in the county, and new Sustainable Land
Management legislation, farmers will need skill
development in making this change. There is
huge concern from the farming community
following various consultation processes and
proposed changes to funding models and
working practices, with over 3000 farmers
protesting in Carmarthen in February 2024 and
larger protests happening across Europe.
In short there are a lot of changes within this
sector with an expectation of an ageing
workforce to make the transition whilst
struggling for funding
Food & Land Management
Local Grown
Carmarthenshire Council have received feasibility
studies (2) for local food production, distribution
and resale network. With a changing attitude
from consumers towards food and its impact on
the environment, alternative food systems, and
the emphasis on local, sustainable solutions, has
increasingly become a national priority as well.
The combination of climate change, Brexit, Covid-
19 and recent conflicts have produced a
substantial threat to food security in Wales
In addition, tourism benefits from local produce,
where tourists are looking for the “REAL
PRODUCTS”.
There are many factors to consider, not just in
terms of logistics, but also packaging, cost,
convenience, seasonality, digital, organics etc,
many skills that the sector may not have
currently.
Fruit and Vegetable production is very low in the
county and across the region, and if a local model
is to be encouraged, this is one area that will
need strengthening. However, with ever changing
pesticide legislation and land suitability for crops
in the county, feasibility studies should now focus
on understanding how the county can strengthen
this, e.g. alternative growing methods could be
considered, such as Hydroponics, vertical farming
(potentially using disused buildings in population
areas to provide local work and remove transport
emissions) and complement planting systems
where organic systems can be trialled
Arborists, Urban Tree Management
With more trees being introduced into urban
planning and current ash die back challenges,
Carmarthenshire will require specialist urban
arborist skills, which differ greatly to forestry
worker skills. There is a huge lack of this kind of
training in Carmarthenshire.
24
1: Farming Facts and Figures, Wales 2022 (gov.wales)
2: feasibility-study-on-sustainable-logistic-models-of-food-distribution-final-report-v30.pdf
(gov.wales)
All LMI Data: Lightcast™
. 2024