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Sian Gwenllian, AM for Arfon, FUW’s Caernarfonshire County Chairman Tudur Parry and FUW Caernarfonshire County Executive Officer Gwynedd Watkin[/caption]
The Caernarfon branch of the Farmers’ Union of Wales has met with local Assembly Member for Arfon, Sian Gwenllian, to discuss #FarmingMatters.
Amongst the many topics on the agenda, Union officials discussed the future of trade agreements, post-Brexit incomes, and the threat to trade negotiations posed by bovine TB.
“I would like to thank Sian Gwenllian for meeting with us and for the wide ranging discussions we had. With regard to the imminent trade negotiations with the EU and other regions, we made it clear that the UK’s current reliance on imported food means there will be considerable political pressure to secure cheaper food supplies from outside the UK in order to avoid food price inflation.
“So to avoid those food price rises, it is really important that new trade policies give Welsh producers maximum benefits, both in terms of export and domestic markets. We have to ensure that absolutely everything is done to make sure that supermarkets and other private sector bodies support our producers here at home and that UK food production and the viability of our agricultural sectors is not undermined,” said FUW Caernarfonshire County Chairman Tudur Parry.
Talking about post-Brexit incomes, Union officials reminded the Assembly Member that during the 2001 Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak Welsh Farmers lost £65m (£98m in today’s terms) mainly through the export ban and that around 75% of Welsh farm incomes come from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
Tudur Parry added that to keep already low incomes where they are in the absence of the CAP, profitability of production would have to quadruple. Mr Parry drew attention to Brian Gardner’s ‘Preparing for Brexit Report’, which predicted that the numbers of small and medium sized family farms would decline post Brexit, with rationalisation of the sector into much larger units. UK food self-sufficiency would fall and a much greater share of the agricultural commodities consumed in the UK would be imported from places such as N and S America, Australia and New Zealand.
“This further exposes producers to global marketplace price and supply volatility as factors such as adverse weather, disease and poor harvests contribute to fluctuating supply. The adverse impact would extend up and down supply chains and to the rural economy in general, having a particularly extreme impact for small and medium sized towns where the agri-sector is a large contributor to the wealth of such areas,” said Tudur Parry.
“In addition we reminded Sian Gwenllian that the FUW called for an Individual Member’s debate on the subject of bovine TB and welcomed the support for the motion the Union has received to date. We also urged her to throw her support behind the debate, which is taking place on Wednesday 28 September.
“Every single AM needs to recognise that the problem of bovine TB in Wales will have catastrophic consequences for our future trade negotiations if the disease status in our wildlife is not addressed as a matter of urgency.
“We made it clear that this debate is an opportunity for cross-party co-operation on an issue which has significant emotional and financial implications for many farmers in Wales and we need the support of the whole Assembly to achieve a change in policy,” added Tudur Parry.
The FUW further emphasised the importance of honouring current Glastir agreements and any new schemes agreed prior to Brexit.