The Farmers’ Union of Wales recognised Rhys Beynon-Thomas for his services to agriculture at the Royal Welsh Show.
Rhys Beynon-Thomas is an experienced vet who returned to Wales in 2014 to work as a vet specialising in farm animals in Carmarthenshire alongside farming part time on the family farm at Hendy, Swansea. He is by now a Director at Prostock Vets.
Speaking at the awards presentation, FUW President Ian Rickman said: “Rhys has been an advocate and a voice for farmers during one of the most distressing periods that the sector has endured.
“His heartfelt but very effective speeches at the “Digon yw Digon” protests in Carmarthen and Cardiff captured the horror and distress of bovineTB on farming families. His commentary was harrowing and his bravery in being willing to stand up and tell the story from a vet’s perspective was inspiring.”
Rhys said: “It’s a great honour to accept this award from the FUW. I feel that it is my duty as a scientist and a farm vet to discuss the facts surrounding bovine TB in Wales. For too long policy has been dictated by politics and not by science. Gwyddoniaeth nid Gwleidyddiaeth (Science not politics).”
FUW members across Wales voted for Wyn and Enid Davies who run the family farm at Castell Howell near Capel Issac to win the Bob Davies memorial Award.
Their bravery and strength in allowing the Welsh agricultural TV show ‘Ffermio’ on to their farm to film the horrific process of putting down a quarter of their dairy milking herd due to bovine TB was recognised by FUW members from all over Wales. All three generations at Castell Howell treated their cows as ‘pets’ Enid explained and could not fathom why they had to endure the pain of seeing the cattle being put down on the farm rather than off-site.
The award, in memory of Farmers’ Weekly Wales correspondent Bob Davies, is offered to an individual or group that has raised the public profile of Welsh farming.
Receiving the award, a shepherd's crook specially carved by Richard Hughes, Mathafarn, from FUW president Ian Rickman, Enid Davies said: “We just hoped that by sharing our story it could hopefully help someone else. We wouldn’t wish anyone to go through what we’ve been through and hope that by showing what happened to us we might help other farmers and families feel less alone.”
"Presenting the award, Ian Rickman said: "We can shout and stamp our feet all we want but if our message isn’t heard then our effort is wasted. We need people to hear our story.
“The FUW are truly thankful to Enid, Wyn and all the Davies family for allowing the Ffermio cameras onto their farm during the horrific process of putting down a quarter of their dairy milking herd because of bovine TB.
“Their strength in allowing the public to see them at their most vulnerable is why we were proud to present Enid and Wyn Davies, Castell Howell, Capel Issac with the Bob Davies memorial award.”
An innovative project using canine DNA technology from livestock attacks is taking its next step in the process of engaging with the agricultural community to further develop and promote the technique.
In recent months, the FUW has been at the heart of important discussions to provide better legislative powers in Westminster relating to dog attacks on livestock. The Union has been publically supportive of improved powers for police in order to help officers to respond more effectively when a dog attack has occurred on a farm.
Led by Liverpool’s John Moores University, the project will now begin the task of distributing Canine DNA Collecting Kits to FUW representatives to share with hotspot areas that are seeing recurring problems with dog attacks affecting farms across Wales.
The kits include swabs, scissors, tape, detailed instructions for DNA collection and information regarding the project. It is hoped that this trial period of testing and collecting could lead to an expansion of the project leading to evidence gathering that could lead to prosecution, down the line.
A panel discussion regarding the project will take place at the Royal Welsh Showground (Wednesday 24 July at 11am in the FUW pavilion). Dr. Nick Dawnay, forensic scientist with 20 years of experience is the Canine DNA Recovery Project lead, is one of the four panel members. He also lectures in Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences at Liverpool John Moores University.
North Wales Police’ rural crime team, Rhys Evans, who runs a smallholding in Anglesey keeping cattle and sheep will offer his insight to the project, together with newly elected Carmarthen MP, Ann Davies. She is working closely with Ceredigion MP, Ben Lake who is busy progressing the change in legislation at Westminster.
Wyn Evans is the fourth panel member. A beef and sheep farmer based in the Ystwyth Valley, he has had personal dealings with dog attacks on his farm. He urges the public to keep their dogs on leads whilst walking in the countryside.
Chaired by FUW’s Regional Vice President, Anwen Hughes said: “I have been keeping my eye on the developments of this project since its inception and have been involved in many of the discussions regarding livestock worrying issues in Wales, on behalf of FUW members.
“It is difficult to unsee the horror left behind after dogs have attacked and disfigured sheep in a field. It impacts our own mental health and well-being, in addition to the cost implications it has on the business. It is a harrowing situation to be in,” added Anwen Hughes.
Following the third meeting of the Ministerial Roundtable held (23 July) at the Royal Welsh Show, the Welsh Government has confirmed its intentions to pay for the maintenance of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) as part of the Universal Baseline Payment through the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS).
Speaking after the meeting, FUW President Ian Rickman said: “We highlighted in our comprehensive consultation response earlier this year that some farms are almost entirely categorised as SSSI and would therefore be placed at a severe disadvantage compared to other producers across Wales if they were unable to access maintenance payments.
“The initial proposals would have resulted in the perverse effect of penalising those farming what have been categorised as Wales’ most precious land.
“While some fundamental questions remain around the payment methodology and capacity within Natural Resources Wales to issue management agreements for SSSI sites, we welcome the efforts made by the Welsh Government to address how the SFS can work alongside the regulatory requirements of the Wildlife and Countryside Act.
“We are committed to the work of the three Welsh Government groups in working through elements of the scheme in turn, and we certainly see this as an important step forward,” concluded Mr Rickman.
FUW research into Wales’ food security shows that the UK’s reliance on food from other countries has nearly doubled since the mid 1980s.
40 per cent of UK food is now imported compared with around 22 per cent in the mid 1980s. Worryingly, around 20 per cent comes directly from ‘climate impact hotspots’.
That is the backdrop to the Farmers Union of Wales’ seminar at the Royal Welsh Showground at 11am on Tuesday 23 July. The FUW is asking a panel of policy experts, who also farm themselves, to debate what Welsh farmers' role is in a Food Secure Wales.
Should we be focusing on feeding our local communities? Do we have a global responsibility to food security in light of climactic and political pressures worldwide? Or should we be positioned as the high quality and environmentally sustainable option for consumers?
Joining panel chair, Dai Miles, Deputy President of the FUW, will be Land Workers Alliance, Holly Tomlinson; Hybu Cig Cymru - Meat Promotion Wales Head of Sustainability and Future Policy, Rachael Madeley-Davies and previous senior livestock buyer for Dunbia, HCC board member and current FUW Farmer Director, Wyn Williams.
FUW Deputy President, Dai Miles said: “This panel discussion gives us the opportunity to highlight issues like the UK’s reliance on imports of ‘indigenous food’ that we can produce ourselves such as beef, lamb and dairy. It has increased five fold in recent years, from 5 per cent to 25 per cent. In terms of food miles, this is ironically and evidently, foolish.
Furthermore, the Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit report that “UK trade statistics show that 16% of our food imports, worth £7.9 billion, came directly from nations with low climate readiness last year, i.e. those that are not only exposed to climate impacts, but also lack capacity and preparedness to adapt and respond.”
FUW Deputy President continued: “We already know that the former Westminster government sold us short when we left the EU. We need a far more robust approach to trading blocs and future trade deals with other countries if we are to protect Welsh food production in rural Wales, the economy and UK food security. These trade deals also threaten our ability to reach key climate and biodiversity targets by undercutting Welsh producers.
“Food imports and exports must be subject to the same customs and adhere to similar standards if we are to provide a level playing field for both UK and EU producers. Otherwise, we risk offshoring our environmental footprint as well as threatening our own self-sufficiency.
“FUW research shows that food waste continues to be a growing problem for society. If it were a country, food waste would be the third highest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world. With 309 million people facing chronic hunger in 72 countries, food production and security has to be at the top of world leaders’ agenda,” Dai Miles concluded.
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