00:00 Now, the digital world spans across virtually all industries and remits, including the likes
00:07 of education, health and social services.
00:10 Yet one industry where digital inclusion is becoming more importantly, and possibly under
00:15 the radar, is within the agricultural industry.
00:18 Now, the sustainable farming scheme and future farm support will rely heavily on farmers
00:23 collecting and inputting data onto websites, including mapping.
00:27 Now, the average age of a Welsh farmer is around 59 years of age, but knowing age is
00:33 no barrier to learning.
00:35 What engagement have you had as Minister with the Rural Affairs Minister, and most importantly,
00:39 with the sector itself, to ensure that our farmers have access to training and skills
00:45 so that they can use, with ease, the necessary digital agricultural platforms to run their
00:50 business and maintain their livelihoods?
00:52 John Griffiths AM The modern world is run on new tech in all
00:55 centres around the internet and computers, and more and more different areas are becoming
00:59 more reliant on being tech savvy.
01:01 Farmers who have traditionally not needed to be particularly adept in computers, but
01:05 this is slowly changing, making it more and more important for agricultural workers to
01:09 learn proficient IT.
01:10 Jane Hutt AM The digital inclusion in the agricultural
01:12 industry, as you say, in terms of the profile, I mean, just looking at the statistics, 93%
01:18 of adults in Wales are now using the internet compared to just 66% in 2010.
01:24 There is an age profile, and it is about skills, isn't it?
01:28 It's about access to skills as well.
01:31 So this is being addressed by a digital strategy for Wales, and that's a programme for government
01:36 commitment.
01:37 It makes clear that for people who can't or decide not to participate digitally, that
01:44 we have to find ways in which to either access them to increase their skills.
01:49 Andrew R.T.
01:50 Davies AM The Welsh Government want to help online proficiency
01:52 and know that nowadays it's one of the most important tools for people, particularly older
01:57 people, to gain that knowledge of working with computers and being engaged in their
02:01 work and personal lives online.
02:02 Jane Hutt AM Since July 2019, our digital inclusion health
02:07 programme, for example, has supported 18,216 people in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire
02:14 with motivation and basic digital skills needed to use the internet effectively.
02:20 We now are developing a minimum digital living standard for Wales, but this has to ensure
02:26 that we do reach out to our business and industry, the agriculture industry.
02:31 I will discuss this with the Minister for Rural Affairs, recognising, of course, that
02:38 Farm Connects and all those engaged in the sustainable farming scheme and the implementation
02:43 and delivery of it will be up to speed on all of this.
02:49 Andrew R.T.
02:50 Davies AM Computer proficiency has never been more
02:51 important and it's easy to forget that some people, like farmers, very much need to be
02:55 adept online.
02:56 So, with more being put into tech education, more people will get those opportunities to
03:00 engage.
03:01 J.P.
03:02 Watkins, reporting from Wales.
03:03 [BLANK_AUDIO]
