[caption id="attachment_5452" align="aligncenter" width="300"] FUW member Wyn Owen with his son Carwyn[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5453" align="aligncenter" width="300"] (l-r) Wyn Owen, former FUW Montgomeryshire county executive officer Susan Jones, Carwyn Owen, FUW stalwart Gareth Vaughan, FUW Montgomeryshire county chairman Mark Williams and FUW vice president Richard Vaughan[/caption]

The Chair for the National Eisteddfod, which has been sponsored by the Farmers’ Union of Wales Montgomeryshire branch, has been handed over to the organisers of this year’s National Eisteddfod (August 1-8).

20 year old Carwyn Owen, of Rhiwfelen, Foel, Welshpool, whose family have been farming here since the early 1960s, is notably the youngest person ever to have been tasked with creating the Eisteddfod Chair.

“I had so many opportunities to develop my skills as a member of the Young Farmers Club and have found a love for woodworking thanks to my grandfather Bryn, who has also made many chairs for the Eisteddfod,” said Mr Owen.

“I was inspired by the wood’s natural beauty and by the mountains in the area, steaming and bending the wood to enable me to create the shape of the mountains in the Chair. 

“Both my grandfathers were keen craftsmen, and I was lucky to inherit a full workshop from one grandfather when I was young, and my other grandfather taught me the art of creating beautiful things from wood,” added Mr Owen.

Speaking after the presentation of the Chair, FUW Montgomeryshire county chairman Mark Williams said: “Carwyn has done a fantastic job and we are very proud as a union to be sponsoring the Chair for this year’s National Eisteddfod.

“This really is a family affair given the FUW’s long standing history with the Eisteddfod and of course also the past involvement of the Owen family in making Eisteddfod Chairs.

“I must thank our former county executive officer Susan Jones for bringing the Owen family to the Eisteddfod’s attention, as Carwyn has done such a wonderful job.

“Carwyn has a strong record of making Chair’s for the Eisteddfod, first of all as a competitor and he was then invited to build the YFC Eisteddfod Bardic Chair and also made the Chair for the Powys Eisteddfod, whilst he was still at school.                                                                                                                 

“The union has always been supportive of the Eisteddfod and all it stands for and this year we are once again proud to be supporting the Welsh language, Welsh culture and Welsh life,” added Mr Williams.

Newly elected Farmers’ Union of Wales president Glyn Roberts has written to UK minister of state for farming George Eustice, backing calls for an independent inquiry into the compulsory use of organophosphates (OPs) sheep dips on farms.

Farmers were previously required by law to dip their sheep with OPs in order to control infestations of sheep ectoparasites, however, mandatory dipping came to an end in 1992 amidst growing concerns over the impact the chemicals were having on farmers’ health.

“Successive UK governments have denied they knew of the dangers of OP exposure,” said FUW animal health and welfare committee chairman Dr Catherine Nakielny.

“However, the FUW now understands that numerous government documents, including some revealed under the freedom of information act, have revealed that officials were privately warned of the dangers farmers faced through exposure to OPs.

“By failing to provide adequate advice and health warnings to those who were mandated to dip their sheep, successive governments effectively increased the exposure of tens of thousands to a dangerous chemical.”

Dr Nakielny said that while compulsory OP dipping was a valuable tool in the fight against parasites such as the sheep scab mite, the apparently blasé attitude  of past governments to a chemical the 1951 Zukerman Report had warned should be labelled as “Deadly Poison” had led to the unnecessary exposure of entire families.

“Dipping on a family farm meant all hands on deck, with children and adults all pitching in without any idea of what they may have been exposing themselves to,” said Dr Nakielny.

Speaking in parliament last month, Jessica Morden, MP for Newport East, called for a full inquiry, independent of DEFRA, to question why farmers might have been compelled to use OP dips with no guidance if governmental research pointed to health impacts.

In response to the debate the minister of state for farming, George Eustice, told MP’s that he was sympathetic to farmers suffering from ill health and he acknowledged that some of them associate their illness with the use of organophosphate sheep dips.

In his letter to George Eustice, FUW President Glyn Roberts said “As you will be aware, numerous peer reviewed scientific publications have now demonstrated a credible link between the use of organophosphate sheep dip and producer ill-health.  To date, several hundred farmers from across the UK have cited debilitating health problems from exposure to organophosphate concentrates which occurred during the then Government’s compulsory dipping programme.

“We now believe the evidence supporting the establishment of an independent inquiry into organophosphate poisoning is incontrovertible and would urge you to support the widespread calls for such an inquiry.”

“We must congratulate Ms Morden and all others involved in bringing this debate to parliament and calling for an inquiry.  We very much hope that government will give this topic the attention it truly deserves,” added Mr Roberts.

[caption id="attachment_5439" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Former FUW president Bob Parry (far left) and current FUW president Glyn Roberts (far right) join the land army girls of Anglesey to commemorate their achievements.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5441" align="aligncenter" width="300"] FUW Anglesey county executive officer Heidi Williams and FUW president Glyn Roberts (both back row) celebrate the work of the land army girls at the memorial plaque presentation.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5442" align="aligncenter" width="300"] 93 –year-old land army girl Sybil Hammond unveils the memorial plaque[/caption]

The tremendous effort made by the land army girls of Anglesey during the first and second World War have been commemorated with an official plaque by the Farmers’ Union of Wales.

The plaque, which was sponsored by the Anglesey branch of the FUW and local community, was revealed on Friday June 26 during an official ceremony on the Anglesey agricultural show ground.

“We can never thank the land army girls enough for all their hard work, tenacity and determination to feed this country by working the land during the first and second World War. This plaque shows our respect and offers just a small token of our appreciation,” said FUW Anglesey county executive officer Heidi Williams.

The event was well attended and offered a fantastic opportunity for former land girls to share their memories and reminisce about the time they spent on the island working the land. Among them was 93-year-old Sybil Hammond, who made the journey from the Isle of Wight, to join her former comrades and officially reveal the plaque.

“Even though it was difficult what we had to do during the war – we were proud to do it. I must thank the FUW for recognising our efforts here on Anglesey with this plaque and I can say that it is more than I could have ever hoped for,” said Mrs Hammond.

Following the official plaque unveiling, visitors saw a vintage tractor parade and enjoyed light refreshments prepared by the FUW county office whilst catching up with old friends.

“I would like to thank all our sponsors for their very kind donations which have helped to make this day so very special for many and also those who have travelled so far to be here with us,” added Mrs Williams.

Bringing the event to a close was the Ysgol Henblas choir who delighted young and old with their songs.

[caption id="attachment_5436" align="aligncenter" width="300"] : (L-R) Aberystwyth vice-chancellor Professor April McMahon, Deputy Minister for Farming and Food Rebecca Evans, FUW animal health and welfare committee chairman Dr Catherine Nakielny, Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales Professor Christianne Glossop and FUW senior policy officer Dr Hazel Wright.[/caption]

The Farmers’ Union of Wales has today (June 29) welcomed the official opening of the Wales Veterinary Centre in Aberystwyth on the site of the former Veterinary Investigation Centre. 

The Centre, which was officially opened by the Deputy Minister for Farming and Food, Rebecca Evans, is designed to provide support to veterinary businesses in Mid and North Wales. 

FUW senior policy officer Dr Hazel Wright said: “Alongside providing improved access to expert veterinary post-mortem examinations, the centre will be of benefit to livestock keepers by enhancing the diagnosis of new and emerging diseases of farm animals. 

“Factors such as climate change are known to increase the risk of new or emerging diseases and the ability of the industry to detect such threats early is imperative for both livestock health and business sustainability. 

“The devastating impacts of novel diseases, such as the Schmallenberg virus, are well known to the livestock sector and it is therefore essential that scanning surveillance is not only maintained, but strengthened in Wales. 

“The FUW was therefore pleased to learn that the Deputy Minister has committed to reversing the erosion of such services by restoring post-mortem services across Wales.  The opening of the Welsh Veterinary Centre represents a positive step forward.”