Who Really Gets What? Farmers, Politicians, and Public Money in Wales

In a recent exchange between a struggling Welsh hill farmer and a Member of the Senedd (MS), the politician’s message was blunt:

Farmers should be “grateful” for the £350 million Wales receives in agricultural support.

Let’s step back and unpack that, because the reality is more complicated—and frankly, more concerning.

Farm Support: The View from the Hills

Yes, £350 million a year is the headline figure for agricultural support in Wales. But divide that across the farming sector and it tells a different story.

Wales has around 25,000 active farm holdings.
That gives you a rough average of £14,000 per farm, per year.
And that’s before costs—think fuel, feed, vet bills, machinery, land maintenance, insurance, and everything else that keeps a farm running.

For many hill farmers, it’s not a subsidy for luxury—it’s the financial glue that holds entire rural communities together. It supports local food production, landscape management, biodiversity, and Welsh cultural heritage.

Meanwhile, in Cardiff Bay…

The Senedd’s own running costs are expanding significantly. By 2026, the Welsh Parliament will increase from 60 to 96 Members under the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill.

Here’s what the official numbers say:

The Senedd Commission’s projected budget for 2026-27 is £92.009 million.
Divide that by the 96 Members and you get about £958,000 per AM, per year.
This figure covers salaries, staff, offices, travel, pensions, ICT, estates management, security, and other support services.

To be clear: that’s not an AM’s personal salary—but it is the public cost per Member, all in.

By comparison, that £14,000 average farm support per year starts to look a lot less like a windfall and more like basic survival funding for the rural economy.

Where’s the Respect?

Welsh farmers aren’t asking for handouts—they’re asking for a fair debate.

Farmers maintain the very landscapes tourists come to see. They feed us. They underpin the rural economy, from local butchers to agricultural mechanics to community schools. And yet, when a hill farmer raises concerns, they’re told to be “grateful.”

Meanwhile, the same politicians overseeing this sector are about to expand their own institution at a cost approaching £1 million per Member, per year.

A Call for Perspective, Not Division

This isn’t about setting farmers against politicians. Wales needs both—representation and rural resilience. But when public figures dismiss the struggles of hill farmers, it erodes trust.

Perspective matters.

If we’re going to have an honest conversation about public spending, let’s start with the facts—not just the headlines.

Closing Thought

In Wales, we pride ourselves on community, culture, and fairness. Farmers are part of that fabric. So are elected representatives. Both have roles to play—but only one seems to be told to sit down and be “grateful.”

Perhaps it’s time we reconsidered who really serves who.

Who Really Gets What? Farmers, Politicians, and Public Money in Wales