Trade deals, the US market for lamb and sustainable food production were top of the agenda when Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) officials met with Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office) and Monmouthshire MP David TC Davies and Wales Office representative in the House of Lords, Baroness Bloomfield.
Opening the gates to her farm was FUW member and former Brecon and Radnor County FUW Chair Kath Shaw, who runs a 75 acres deer farm at Blaenhow Farm, near Builth Wells.
Speaking about the benefits of venison as part of the diet, Kath explained: “Venison is slowly gaining popularity as more people become aware of its health benefits such as it being low in fat and high in iron and protein. The food we grow here is produced sustainably and we work with nature in many ways.
“We are lucky enough to still have a small abattoir nearby, meaning the food miles associated with our venison are minimised, but many other Welsh farmers are not as lucky - the UK has lost around 90% of its abattoirs in my lifetime, and there are predictions more than half of what we have left will close in the next five years if something is not done.”
Ms Shaw said the larger abattoirs did not provide the kind of services needed by producers such as her, and that more abattoir closures would further reduce the opportunities for farms to diversify, provide local food and supply niche markets.
“UK Governments need to work together on overhauling the regulations that have made life so difficult for these premises, and providing support rather than obstacles and more red tape - before it’s too late,” she said.
FUW President Glyn Roberts, who also attended the visit, spoke about the opportunities in the US market for Welsh and UK lamb after the lifting of the small ruminant rule on 3 January.
“The US market definitely presents opportunities for some which are very welcome, and there was agreement that we all need to work together to open the necessary doors and overcome obstacles to make the best of those - without losing focus on the vast and important market for lamb that exists on our doorstep in mainland Europe,” he said.
Mr Roberts also took the opportunity to highlight concerns regarding the impact of the recently signed UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
“Whatever red meat market you’re operating in, be it venison, lamb or beef, the deal with Australia is likely to have a negative impact as red meat markets are depressed by increased Australian imports under certain trading conditions.
“The UK Government’s own assessment admits that it is our beef and lamb producers who will suffer most as a result of the deal,” he said.
Mr Roberts told the Wales Office representatives that it was extremely frustrating that UK Governments were implementing or considering introducing additional unnecessary rules and restrictions for UK farmers while the UK Government had simultaneously negotiated and accepted a deal allowing the import of more and more Australian food produced to far lower standards than those already required of farmers in the UK.
Official UK Government figures estimate the UK-Australia deal will increase the size of UK’s economy by only 0.08% (eight ten-thousandths) in the long run and increase average wages by just 60p per week based on 2019 figures - but will result in a fall of a quarter of a billion pounds in the GVA of the UK’s agri-food sectors ‘...driven by increased import competition in the beef and sheepmeat sub-sectors.’
“Such concerns are exacerbated by the fact that similar trade deals are being negotiated or finalised with other major agricultural producing nations such as New Zealand. Potential adverse impacts on natural resources have also been acknowledged by the UK Government’s impact assessment at a time of grave concerns regarding our environment and climate,” said Mr Roberts, who is urging MPs to oppose the deal.
However, he said that whatever concerns and differences exist, the FUW remains committed to working with the Wales Office and others in order to protect Wales’ family farms and rural communities and maximise opportunities.
Speaking after the visit, FUW Brecon and Radnor County Chairman Dwylan Davies, who also attended the farm visit, said: “It was a great pleasure to welcome Mr Davies and Baroness Bloomfield to the heart of rural Wales to discuss how we can do this, and I am extremely grateful to the Shaw family for having given us an insight into a very different side of Welsh agriculture.”