[caption id="attachment_7707" align="alignleft" width="200"] FUW Deputy President Brian Thomas[/caption]

The announcement that supermarket Morrisons is starting a search for the best local food producers who can help to feed the nation, following the release of new report which calls for the UK to be more self-sufficient in food production and new consumer research showing a growing appetite from British shoppers for more local food, has been welcomed by the Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW).

‘The Nation’s Local Foodmakers’ will see Morrisons recruit more than 200 new suppliers from across England, Scotland and Wales in the first year. Morrisons is inviting foodmakers to pitch for their place in its supermarkets via a series of 12 regional events starting in Yorkshire on March 14.

The move comes as a new report published today by leading experts on global food issues led by Professor Tim Benton, from the University of Leeds, says that only half (52%) of food eaten in the UK comes from our farmers.

In the British Food report, Professor Benton says that in light of uncertainties globally it makes increasing sense to build up a stronger local food sector here in the UK and calls on British retailers, producers and customers to recognise the wider benefits of supporting UK food making and production.

FUW Deputy President Brian Thomas said: “This acknowledgement by Morrisons of the dangers we face in terms of food security and being so reliant on food imports during times of global instability is extremely welcome, and the UK government should also acknowledge this during its negotiations over trade deals and in terms of its local procurement policies.”

“We welcome Morrisons' commitment to UK food and urge other retailers to follow suit. Morrison's work in terms of producing this document and their commitments to increasing local and UK procurement is in part a response to the risks posed by Brexit to their own business in terms of losing important supply chains and the impacts of exchange rates and that now is the time for supermarkets to better connect with farmers.”

Mr Thomas added that unfortunately for Wales, the greatest opportunities in the short term are for arable and horticultural producers (production carried out on only around 5% of Wales' agricultural land), but there are potentially other beneficiaries - dairy and beef producers for example.

In the longer term, he highlighted that it would be beneficial to see supermarkets like Morrisons encouraging those with land which is productive enough and who used to grow crops, vegetables etc. half a century ago to go back to doing this -  but it will have to make sense economically and will need significant investment.

“We must not forget the importance of our export markets and the complexity of food chains - those at greatest risk from losing export markets are sheep producers, due to the seasonality of production. We have lots at certain times and need to export it and our reliance on exporting cuts we don't tend to eat to continental markets in order to make up the value of animals. 30-40% of lamb is exported to mainland EU - so a trade deal with the EU is essential for Wales' farmers,” added Mr Thomas.

[caption id="attachment_7704" align="alignleft" width="300"] FUW Meirionnydd members highlight devastating effects high business rates will have on rural economy.[/caption]

From April 1, many businesses will see their business rates increasing dramatically, crippling many rural businesses and prompting the Farmers’ Union of Wales to call on Chancellor Philip Hammond to use his budget next month to reduce the huge increases.

The last time rates were set was seven years ago, but property price changes since then have led to big winners and losers. Rates will fall for 920,000 businesses, remain the same for another 420,000, and increase for 510,000 across the UK.

Under the current scheme, business premises with a rateable value of up to £6,000 will receive 100% relief and those with a rateable value between £6,001 and £12,000 will receive relief on a tapered basis from 100% to zero.

To highlight the point, the Meirionnydd branch of the FUW has met with their local MP Liz Saville Roberts to discuss the alarming increases, how business rates are set, and that the basis for the rates can differentiate between businesses.

FUW Meirionnydd County Executive Officer Huw Jones said: “This is an issue which would greatly affect the Dwyfor Meirionnydd constituency, which is considered one of the poorest throughout the UK in terms of household income. But it will also have a devastating effect across Wales and our rural communities. Some businesses are seeing hykes of £15,000 or more, threatening their viability.”

FUW Head of Policy Dr Nick Fenwick, said: “We have written to the Chancellor to highlight the extreme impact these changes will have on large numbers of businesses, but we would also urge businesses to contact their MPs and AMs.

“Many farm businesses which have tried to make up for falls in income by diversifying are now seeing their efforts wiped out by this rise.”

Those who think they may be affected can visit www.gov.uk/correct-your-business-rates to check the rateable value of their property set by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) and used by local councils to calculate business rates.

The site can also be used to request changes to property or valuation details if it’s believed the VOA figures are wrong if you think they’re wrong.

[caption id="attachment_7688" align="alignleft" width="300"] Jonty from Swayne Johnson Solicitors, Rhun ap Iorwerth AM, Janet Phillips WAG, Trystan Sion Farming Connect getting their day off to a racing start[/caption]

Farmers on Anglesey got their day off to a racing start when they joined the Farmers’ Union of Wales farmhouse breakfast at Cartio Mon, Bodedern.

The breakfast, which was well attended by members, was part of the FUW’s farmhouse breakfast week campaign. It aimed to help politicians, key stakeholders and the general public to appreciate the important role the food and drink sector plays in their everyday lives.

“We enjoyed a great breakfast here at Cartio Mon and I would like to thank you for supporting us on the day. This breakfast campaign provided an opportunity to promote the quality premium local produce that farmers grow for us every day of the year and throughout breakfast week we put a spotlight on the importance of our rural economy,” said FUW Anglesey County Chairman Peter Williams.

[caption id="attachment_7689" align="alignright" width="300"] Cadi Roberts and Eirian Williams enjoying Welsh farmhouse breakfast week[/caption]

Over the last year the FUW has been busy highlighting why farming matters – not just in terms of food security but also in terms of our rural economy and our rural communities.

As well as raising the profile of Welsh farming, the Anglesey branch also raised £365 for BHF Cymru, the FUW President’s chosen charity.

[caption id="attachment_7685" align="alignleft" width="300"] FUW Policy Officer Charlotte Priddy[/caption]

The announcement made by Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths, that a new round of funding for Glastir Advanced, worth over £18 million, has been opened, was welcomed by the Farmers’ Union of Wales.

The new round of funding is expected to deliver up to 340 Glastir Advanced contracts in 2018 (estimated at £54k per contract) and the Expression of Interest (EoI) window for will open on 28 February 2017 and will close at midnight on 31 March.

Welcoming the announcement, FUW Policy Officer Charlotte Priddy said: “This is great news for our farmers. I encourage them to apply for this next round of funding, for which they will need to submit an EOI via an RPW Online account before the end of March.”

Glastir Advanced is the flagship component of Glastir, through which the Welsh Government offers financial support to farmers and land owners to improve the environmental management of their land.

Mrs Priddy however also highlighted that farmers need to understand what they are signing up to.

“It is important that farmers fully understand the obligations within their Glastir contracts as even a minor breach can result in a hefty / significant penalty. It’s advisable to regularly review the contract to ensure that all the requirements are met,” she added.

If you use snares to control foxes, your snares must comply with the requirements of the Welsh Government code of best practice. Fox snaring has a proven track record of preventing localised species’ extinctions and securing wildlife diversity in Wales, including conserving endangered birds like black grouse, curlew and lapwing, as well as safeguarding young stock.

[caption id="attachment_7679" align="alignleft" width="200"] FUW Land Use Policy Officer Bernard Griffiths[/caption]

FUW Land Use Policy Officer Bernard Griffiths said: “If you follow the advice in this code you should be operating within the law, however the code is not a training manual, therefore training from approved trainers is highly recommended.”

There are training courses available, which take place in:

• Lleyn Peninsula, Gwynedd – Tuesday 14 February.
• Ceredigion – Wednesday 15 February
• Denbighshire on Tuesday 7 March
• Builth Wells area, Powys on Wednesday 8 March
• Vale of Glamorgan on Thursday 9 March.

Here are some things you must do if you snare foxes in Wales:

• Obtain a copy of the Welsh Government Code of best practice on the use of snares in fox control

• Read the code fully and understand it.

• Abide by it. Put the code’s advice into practice and snare only in accordance with the measures the code advocates.

• Check your snares. Use only modern, code-compliant equipment. Remember – every fox snare set in Wales must comply with the code’s requirements.

• It is your responsibility to ensure that your kit conforms to best practice.

Some legal points to be aware of:

1. Snares must be inspected at least once a day while set.

2. It is illegal to use a ‘self-locking’ snare.

3. It is an offence for a person to cause unnecessary suffering to an animalunder their control (this applies to animals whilst held in snares and themeans by which they are dispatched.

4. It is an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to a domestic animal.

5. It is illegal to set in position any trap or snare calculated to cause bodilyinjury to any deer coming into contact with it.

6. It is illegal to set in position any trap or snare calculated to cause bodilyinjury to any wild animal included in schedule 6 of the Wildlife andCountryside Act 1981 (currently including badger, polecat, otter, redsquirrel, hedgehog and pine marten).

7. If a species given protection under Schedule 6 to the 1981 Act is caughtunintentionally and has to be killed on grounds of humaneness because it isbadly injured, the burden of proof is on the person who killed the animal tojustify their action.

8. Under section 14 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 it is an offence torelease or allow to escape into the wild any animal which is of a kind notordinarily resident in GB in a wild state or included in Part 1 of Schedule 9 tothe Act. These animals, which include the grey squirrel and American mink,should be killed in a quick and humane manner.

9. You must dispose of carcasses safely, so they do not cause harm to humanhealth or pollution of the environment.

If you’re interested in attending one of these snaring courses you need to book your place by contacting:  Lynda Ferguson (at the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, Burgate Manor, Fordingbridge, SP6 1EF) by phone on 01425 651013 or by email at email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The snaring course covers: • Legislation and the new Welsh Government code of best practice  • How to choose your equipment • Snare preparation • Selecting snare locations and how to avoid non-target species • Humane dispatch of foxes and Release of non-target animals. The theory element is taught in the classroom, followed by practical tuition outdoors in choosing snaring sites and setting snares.

The addresses of the venues will be forwarded to delegates on booking. All courses run from 10am to 1pm and cost £72 including VAT. After lunch, delegates also have the option of attending the GWCT corvid cage-trapping course, which is offered at half the usual fee on these occasions. The cost of attending both courses is £108 including VAT. Tea and coffee are provided. Please bring your own packed lunch.

A copy of the Welsh Government Code of best practice on the use of snares in fox control can also be downloaded here: [gview file="http://fuw.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/150915-code-of-practice-snares-en.pdf"]

[caption id="attachment_7674" align="alignleft" width="300"] (l-r) FUW President Glyn Roberts, Lesley Griffiths, FUW Montgomeryshire County Chairman Mark Williams and FUW County Executive Officer Emyr Wyn Davies[/caption]

Farmers in Montgomeryshire were delighted to welcome Welsh Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths, to officially open the new Farmers’ Union of Wales office in Newtown today.

The modern new premises are located at Unit 2, St. Giles Business Park, which is located on the Pool Road, Newtown.

FUW Montgomeryshire County Executive Officer Emyr Wyn Davies said: “I would like to thank the Cabinet Secretary for officially opening our office here in Newtown today. The opening of this new office emphasises the continued dedication of the FUW to its county structure, through which members can receive one-to-one services face to face.

“One of the core reasons for having this and our other ten county offices, is that it enables the FUW to understand different problems faced by farmers across Wales, to gather different perspectives, and react to concerns at an appropriate local and national level.”

Speaking at the opening, FUW President Glyn Roberts reminded the Cabinet Secretary that the issue of bovine TB needs solving urgently.

“One of the strongest messages to come from this county last year was related to bovine TB and the proposals to split Wales up into zones. If those proposals were introduced, there would be five regions with different sets of TB rules within 20 miles of this office.

“We fully understand what the Welsh Government is trying to achieve, and we welcome references made to taking action in the wildlife. We all support the goal, and also understand the logic of having regions. But only where actions are truly holistic.

“People are terrified that this region of Wales will be torn apart, and that we will continue to see a situation where blunt instruments are applied to our cattle, while the bar set for evidence required to take action against wildlife will be beyond reach where it needed,” said Mr Roberts.