The Denbighshire branch of the Farmers’ Union of Wales is urging its members to help save Mold Auction mart from closure by filling in an online survey.

“The future of this historic mart is on the line and we believe that the movement of this century-old livestock  market will destroy the town and its history. Mold is one of the very few market towns left with its livestock market still in the centre of town and it is the heart of the community,” said FUW Denbigh and Flintshire county executive officer Mari Dafydd Jones.

“I would like to encourage our members to fill in the survey at their earliest convenience to make their voices heard. Bearing in mind that it is an online survey and many of our members do not have access to a computer, I would like to offer them the opportunity to fill in the survey at our county office.

“Please contact the office on 01824 707198 to arrange for an appointment or those with access to a computer can fill in the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MoldLMU” added Ms Jones.

As summer gets into full swing, the show season has started and the school holidays are approaching, the Farmers’ Union of Wales is once again calling on drivers of all slow moving vehicles to defuse road rage by moving over and allowing faster traffic to pass.

“Getting stuck behind a slow moving vehicle on a twisting country road with no opportunity to overtake can be very frustrating,” said FUW land use and parliamentary committee chairman Gavin Williams.

“It is especially annoying on hot summer days for local people who are anxious to keep appointments and for tourists whose enjoyment of their holidays can be spoiled.

“The thoughtlessness of some drivers who forget to pull over when they are being followed by a long line of traffic is a recipe for road rage,” said Mr Williams.

“It can often lead to drivers taking unnecessary risks and overtaking at the most inappropriate times and places, creating a danger to themselves and to other road users.”

Although tractors are often blamed for hold-ups, slow-moving lorries and cars towing caravans could also be at fault.

“The Highway Code states that anyone causing traffic to back up as a result of their slow speed must pull over at the earliest and safest opportunity to allow faster vehicles to pass,” he said.

“The FUW is reminding all drivers of slow moving vehicles to think of other road users and to follow the Highway Code.”

The Farmers’ Union of Wales has backed the gradual introduction of ‘top-up’ payments on the first 54-hectares in its response to the Welsh Government’s consultation on Wales’ Basic Payment Scheme. 

The option, referred to in the EU regulations as ‘redistributive payments’, would mean moving from the current historically based model towards estimated payments of €243 for the first 54-hectares of eligible land and €124 for all remaining eligible land by 2019. 

FUW president Glyn Roberts said: “The majority of our twelve county executive committees supported the phased introduction of a 54-hectare top-up model paid at the maximum rate allowed within the regulations, while the remainder of committees failed to reach consensus. 

“The majority view was that a top-up model is believed to be the only realistic option at this stage, which goes some way towards reducing disruption for the industry as a whole, an overriding policy goal agreed by Welsh Government and stakeholders many years ago.” 

The 54-hectare top-up would benefit those with around 125-hectares (300 acres) or less of eligible land around when compared with a uniform 2019 flat rate of around €176, reducing financial losses for around 70 percent of claimants. In particular the approach would help mitigate losses for those sectors likely to be worst hit by the implementation of a uniform flat rate payment model.

However, Mr Roberts acknowledged that the union’s support for the option would not be popular with all. 

“We have a democratically established mandate to support the implementation of this option, but it’s estimated that around 33 percent of recipients would be better off under a flat rate system, while for a large number such a system will merely reduce the losses they would experience under any system,” added Mr Roberts. 

Mr Roberts said there was widespread frustration among members that the maps held by Welsh Government are now not believed to be sufficiently accurate to implement a regional payment model which would allow higher payments to be made on better quality land. 

“All the work done to date shows that the best way to minimise disruption is to have a regional payment model with higher payments on better quality land and we therefore remain frustrated that our calls to start such work were not heeded until the eleventh hour. 

“We have therefore called on Welsh Government to start mapping work at the earliest opportunity in order to prepare for and inform the next CAP and any mid-term review.”  

However, Mr Roberts said that all the work undertaken to date, including the FUW’s own pioneering modelling work in 2009, shows large shifts in finding between individuals, regions and sectors, irrespective of which payment model is implemented. 

“Under current circumstances any losses will be exacerbated by a 10 percent fall in Wales’ Pillar 1 budget and the transfer of 15 percent of the budget to pillar 2, with the Euro exchange rate adding to uncertainty. 

“These are things we cannot influence so we must ensure that our rural development programme focusses on helping those who are set to lose most under the payment system adopted in Wales,” he added.

[caption id="attachment_5396" align="aligncenter" width="300"] SILVER SALVER: Sulwyn Thomas and Nick Somerfield (right) receive their awards in 2005 from FUW president Gareth Vaughan.[/caption]

Former chairman and president of the FUW’s Carmarthenshire county branch Nick Somerfield, who was made a life member in 2011, has sadly passed away.

Seventy-eight-year-old Nicholas John Somerfield, or Nick as he was known to everyone, was brought up in Send, near Woking in Surrey.

A naval engineer during National Service, he gained promotion during operations in the Suez campaign and was offered a commission but, determined to follow his passion for farming, declined to take up the Surrey Scholarship he had been awarded and studied agriculture at Writtle in Essex.

Whilst a student he worked on the Guinness Estates for Lord Iveagh and on graduation he acquired a managerial post in Hampshire, where the 1,000-acre unit supported arable, livestock and hop-growing enterprises.

Following marriage to Kyra, the decision was made to realise the ambition of his own farm.  The move was made in 1963 to the contrasting location of Crug-las in the Brecon Beacons where hill livestock became the required option on the 220-acre hill unit.

Nick and his wife kept hardy Welsh mountain sheep and an equally tough suckler herd of Gelbvieh and Welsh Black  cows, as well as a small pedigree herd of British Toggenburg dairy goats.

The herd of dairy goats is one of the longest established in Wales from which stock has been exported worldwide during the past 30 years, many being sent to establish agricultural aid herds in Africa. Kyra has twice travelled throughout Ethiopia to evaluate these projects. 

Nick always joined in co-ordinating the collection of Welsh supplied stock and in promoting the work of FARM-Africa in support of the rural poor of that continent.

An FUW member for half a century, he was notably the first English person ever to have been given life membership of the union.

Chairman and member of the FUW parliamentary and land use committee for 22 years, Nick actively campaigned for the needs of smaller Welsh family farms, believing that socially, economically and environmentally they are the backbone of rural survival and essential for the Principality.

A National Park Forum, Wales Biodiversity Action Group and CCW liaison member he had also served for six years as an EPAC (Environmental Protection Action Committee) appointee.

He felt greatly honoured when, in 2005, he was awarded the FUW Silver Salver in recognition of his service to the union and to the agricultural industry in Wales.

Speaking about Mr Somerfield, FUW vice president Brian Walters said: "Nick was a person who could enter into debate with any politician or civil servant and do it in a pleasant way with strong argument and on a variety of topics.

“He was very good at handling consultation documents and dissecting them with the help of his lovely wife, Kyra. 

“He has always been a loyal member of the FUW at county and national level and I am sure he will be missed by the members, family and friends," added Mr Walters.