Farmers in Carmarthenshire got up to speed with the new tax rules, which come into force on 1 April 2019. The ‘Making tax digital’ scheme will see millions of businesses and self-employed people having to file multiple tax returns each year.

So in order to help those VAT-registered businesses with a taxable turnover above the VAT threshold, the Carmarthen branch of the Farmers’ Union of Wales organised a special information evening.

Held at Llanarthney village hall on Thursday 3 January 2019, those attending the event heard all about the scheme from Eirian Humphreys of LHP accountants and had the opportunity to ask questions.

FUW Carmarthen CEO David Waters said: “This new way of filing your taxes has the potential to be a real headache for our farmers, especially as paper returns will no longer be accepted.

“We had a really successful evening, with many members and non-members attending the information evening and getting up to speed on the new way filing their tax returns. I would like to thank Eirian Humphreys of LHP accountants for providing much needed clarity and hope members now feel better informed.”

Glamorganshire beef and sheep farmer Lorraine Howells, who took early retirement from teaching at the local comprehensive school in 1997 to devote more time to farming, has been elected as the FUW’s Glamorgan county President.

She served as the Union’s Glamorganshire county vice chairman from 1989 to 1991, county chairman from 1991 to 1995 and was elected as South Wales member of the central finance and organisation committee in 2000 before being elected vice president in June 2011.

Lorraine Howells also chaired the FUW’s central common land committee for over ten years and is current vice chairman of the central hill farming and marginal land committee.

“On behalf of our members, I would like to congratulate Lorraine on being elected as our new county President. She takes over the role from former county President John Llewellyn who sadly passed away in March 2018.

“Lorraine is known by many, not just through her work with the FUW but also through her role as President of the Welsh Black Cattle Society. Her successful and renowned butchers shop ‘Cig Mynydd Cymru’, which she set up with five fellow breeders in the Rhymney and Merthyr Valley, is testimony to her commitment to the farming industry and we look forward to continue working closely with her,” said Glamorgan CEO Rachel Saunders

The Farmers’ Union of Wales has expressed its disappointed at the Information Commissioner's Office ruling that ‘no further action’ is required following the accidental release of personal farm details by Welsh Government.

Both the farm name and the location of those farms selected for Welsh Government badger culling as part of the Refreshed Bovine TB Programme were accidentally released by Welsh Government in July last year following a freedom of information request.   

This information was subsequently posted on social media with calls from some anti-cull extremists to engage in behaviour which could have threatened the safety of farming families.

Dr Hazel Wright, FUW Senior Policy Officer, said: “We recognise that Welsh Government have now put procedures in place to reduce the likelihood of this mistake recurring and we hope that lessons really have been learned.  

“However, the lack of a more robust response by the Information Commissioner’s Office will do little to act as a deterrent against future bad practise.

“Welsh Government were aware that the deliberate or inadvertent release of such information was likely to result in targeting by animal rights extremists, including illegal activity and threats being made.”

Aberystwyth University student Emily Smith from Merthyr Mawr has been awarded with the FUW’s Walter Rowlands memorial award.

The award, in memory of FUW county secretary Walter G. Rowlands, who died in service in 1986, is made to an agricultural student resident in Glamorganshire after careful consideration by the Union’s county executive committee.

Not from a farming background, Emily fell in love with the rural lifestyle after moving to the countryside aged 11 and is currently in her final year of reading BSC agriculture with animal science at Aberystwyth University.  

She is actively involved in the Agriculture Society at University and has also been elected onto the committee as its secretary.

As part of her university course Emily spent 14 months on a working placement in New Zealand working on a 530 dairy cow farm and now wishes to pursue her interest in the breeding side of dairy farming.

After graduating, she would like to undertake a career with a breeding genetics company as a Reproductive Management Service Technician.