Legislation and guidance

Please read this legislation together with the Agricultural Wages guidance.

The Agriculture Wages (Wales) Order 2024 defines terms and conditions of employment for agricultural workers.

The Order makes the following changes to the Agricultural Minimum Wage framework including:

• increases to minimum hourly rates for all grades and categories of agricultural worker;
• increases to all allowances;
• an amendment to the overtime rate payable to agricultural workers by reference to the agricultural worker’s actual hourly rates of pay, rather than the minimum hourly rate of pay prescribed in the Order; and
• a number of simplification amendments to the Order by removing provisions which repeat passages of other legislation. 

It also continues to provide pay protection for agricultural workers who would otherwise suffer a reduction in pay as a result of previous changes in the grading structure.

It came into force on 1 April 2024.

The Agriculture Wages (Wales) Order 2023 is replaced and revoked by the Agriculture Wages (Wales) Order 2024.

The Agriculture Wages (No. 2) (Wales) Order 2022 is replaced and revoked by the Agriculture Wages (Wales) Order 2023.

The Agriculture Wages (Wales) Order 2022 is replaced and revoked by the Agriculture Wages (No. 2) (Wales) Order 2022.

The Agriculture Wages (Wales) Order 2020 is replaced and revoked by the Agriculture Wages (Wales) Order 2022.

The Agriculture Wages (Wales) Order 2019 is replaced and revoked by the Agriculture Wages (Wales) Order 2020.

The Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales (Establishment) Order 2016 establishes the panel as an independent advisory body to the Welsh Ministers.  The panel’s functions are to promote careers in agriculture, to prepare agricultural wages orders in draft, consult on such orders to submit them to the Welsh Ministers and to advise the Welsh Ministers on matters relating to the agricultural sector in Wales.

The Agriculture Sector (Wales) Act 2014 makes provisions for:

• the establishment of the Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales
• the making of orders which set the terms and conditions for persons employed in agriculture in Wales ( agricultural workers) 
• the enforcement of such terms and conditions