The Glamorgan branch of the Farmers’ Union of Wales is looking forward to discuss #FarmingMatters at the Vale of Glamorgan show (August 10).
The Vale Market Community Enterprise Group (VMCE) will also be joining the FUW at its stand for the one-day show to outline plans for the refurbishment of the livestock market.
The Union has long been in support of the mart recognising that the closure of Cowbridge mart would remove a vital lifeline from the town and also make it necessary for farmers to travel far greater distances to sell their stock.
In 2013 the Union contributed to a feasibility study in a bid to convince the Vale Council that it was profitable and vital to keep the mart open.
“Refurbishing this livestock market is a very exciting prospect. It’s not just an important vehicle to establish the SQQ (Standard Quality Quotation) of lambs to calculate dead weight price but the integration of local people who want to sustain the old tradition of a livestock market here in Glamorgan is well worth supporting,” said FUW Glamorgan County Chairman Richard Walker.
“I am very pleased to see that agricultural industry and the local community want to market their products and work together for the good of the community.
“So our stand at the show is not just about farming; it is about the wider recognition of how Farming Matters, where supply chains are involved, how money circulates in the local economy, where people survive, where profits are made, communities are sustained and our culture continues to thrive,” he added.
The Union is also pleased to be joined by Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns at the county show.
“We have recently met with Alun Cairns at the Royal Welsh Show and are delighted to welcome him to our stand at the Vale of Glamorgan Show. It will be an ideal opportunity to highlight how farming matters to the whole of the rural economy of Wales and that decisions in relation to agriculture cannot be taken without being seen in the wider context of their impact on traditional Welsh family farms and the economies they support,” added Richard Walker.
The FUW is extending a warm welcome to all its members to join the county staff at the show to discuss policy matters and support the counties 200 club raffle.