THREE in four in Wales view Welsh food produce as high quality, new polling has shown.

The survey, commissioned by National Farmers' Union Cymru and conducted by YouGov, also found 72 per cent of Welsh adults believed supporting Welsh farmers was a good use of public spending.

Nearly the same proportion – 70 per cent – thought Wales could play a “leading role” in the UK being a self-sufficient food producer.

A vicious blend of international instability, weather and a dependence on imports has seen the price of food and non-alcoholic drinks rise by 10 per cent in the year ending October 2023.

Last month, Welsh Government cut the farming budget by around £37 million – nearly eight per cent of the previous total – after a summer spent looking for savings.

NFU Cymru president Aled Jones said the budget reprioritisation statement was a “stark warning” as to the challenges they faced in the coming years.

“NFU Cymru recognises the significant financial pressures Welsh Government is facing," he said.

"It is our firm belief, however, that a sector that continues to feed the nation, manages 80 per cent of the land area, underpins an £8 billion food and farming sector and makes unparalleled contribution to the economic, environmental, social and cultural wellbeing of rural Wales – all for just two per cent of the current overall Welsh Government spend – is a sector that represents an exceptional return for public funding."

The Welsh Government announces its draft budget statement next month.