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(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.