[caption id="attachment_3849" align="aligncenter" width="600"] SECTION SPONSORS: Welsh Black cattle at FUW president Emyr Jones's farm at Rhiwaedog, Rhosygwaliau, Bala.[/caption]

The Farmers' Union of Wales revealed today it is sponsoring the Welsh Black Cattle section at this year's Royal Welsh Show (July 23-26).

"Numerous prominent members of the union are Welsh Black breeders so it was a wonderful opportunity for us to sponsor this important livestock section when the previous sponsors withdrew their long-standing support," said FUW business development director Emyr James.

"Together with our extended and refurbished pavilion being opened during the show, it will undoubtedly raise the FUW's profile at Welsh agriculture's main shop window."

[caption id="attachment_3846" align="aligncenter" width="600"] PAVILION PROJECT: Architect’s 3D projection of the extended and refurbished FUW pavilion on the Royal Welsh Showground.[/caption]

A major redevelopment of the Farmers' Union of Wales pavilion on the Royal Welsh Showground will be officially opened by Lord Morris of Aberavon, the union's first deputy general secretary and legal adviser, during this year's show at Llanelwedd, Builth Wells.

The 30-year-old pavilion occupies a prime site alongside the main ring but in recent years it was proving to be too small to adequately accommodate the numerous activities and meetings taking place during the annual four-day show.

The redevelopment project includes a new two-storey rear extension which effectively doubles the amount of floor space of the present building.

The opportunity was also taken to provide new county offices for the union's Brecon and Radnor county staff and FUW Insurance area representatives in a modern setting.

The balcony at the front of the building has also been extended and covered to provide a modern look and make full use of the pavilion's prime position overlooking the non-stop main ring action.

The revamp will enable more meetings and activities to take part at the same time than previously and the building's facilities will be available for other organisations to hire during the rest of the year.

"The old pavilion has served us well since 1981 and it was high time for us to upgrade it," said FUW president Emyr Jones.

"The union has come a long way since our first presence at Llanelwedd in a large marquee surrounded by wooden panels.

"This ambitious redevelopment project vividly portrays the successful progress of the union over the past 56 years and its current popularity within Wales."

[caption id="attachment_3843" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Jonathan Edwards MP - furthest left - with FUW delegation members - from left - including Pembrokeshire’s grand council delegate David Miles, Emyr Jones, Dei Davies; Brian Thomas; Elfyn Llwyd MP; Eifion Huws and Brian Walters.[/caption]

The Farmers' Union of Wales has raised the serious concerns of dairy farmers with Welsh MPs at Westminster and today called on milk producers to attend an emergency meeting later this week in Carmarthenshire with local politicians and deputy agriculture minister Alun Davies.

FUW president Emyr Jones and other members of his presidential team will attend the emergency meeting at the White Hart, Llandeilo, on Thursday (July 19) at 7pm.

"The union strongly supports this meeting and urges dairy farmers facing farmgate milk price cuts and ever-increasing production costs to turn up and put their points of view directly to the Minister," said Mr Jones.

The meeting was called by Carmarthen East and Dinefwr MP Jonathan Edwards and AM Rhodri Glyn Thomas who expressed concern that the number of dairy farmers in Wales had halved in the last 13 years and their fears that the current crisis will add to the demise of the dairy industry.

Mr Jones led a deputation of union leaders when farming unions last week took part in a summit meeting in London to fight the milk price cuts.

On the same day the deputation also met Welsh MPs Albert Owen (Anglesey), Elfyn Llwyd (Dwyfor Meirionnydd) and Mr Edwards.

"We urged them to give active consideration to what future action needs to be taken to help the survival of dairy farms which, according to the latest Welsh Government statistics, have reduced in Wales by over 800 from 2,727 in 2006 to 1,908 last year," said Mr Jones.

"They promised to support our cause and agreed with us that it is essential for the dairy industry to stand together at this critical time."

[caption id="attachment_3840" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Meinir Bartlett with the Owen Slaymaker award[/caption]

The Farmers' Union of Wales' Carmarthenshire county executive officer Meinir Bartlett has retained the union's Owen Slaymaker Award given annually to the county branch that has best promoted the interests of members and the union.

Mr Slaymaker was the FUW's Carmarthenshire county secretary from 1970-90 and county executive officer from 1990-91 when he died in office.

The award in his memory recognises the county executive officer who uses every opportunity to effectively raise the union's profile through organised events, functions and meetings.

Presenting the award to Mrs Bartlett at the union's recent annual general meeting, deputy president Glyn Roberts said: "Our agricultural policy, public relations and administration departments assess the winner on the basis of what's been achieved during the year and who has gone that extra mile on behalf of members.

"They look for quality of policy consultation responses, press contributions and promoting the union and its activities at every opportunity, whilst taking good care of members' needs."

Mrs Bartlett joined the FUW 16 years ago after working for the Milk Marketing Board and Milk Marque. During her time with Milk Marque she was in charge of the department dealing with the introduction of the automotive data collection department responsible for recording the number of litres collected and quality results from individual farms.

The Farmers' Union of Wales today welcomed a High Court ruling that proposals to cull badgers in England to control bovine TB are legal.

The Badger Trust had challenged the English proposals on three grounds, all of which were turned down.

Responding to the decision, FUW's TB spokesman, Carmarthen dairy farmer Brian Walters, said: "During the hearings the Badger Trust's barrister acknowledged that they were not challenging the science behind culling badgers, but the legality of the decision.

"The judge has made it clear that the English decision is legal and that licenses to cull badgers 'for the purpose of preventing the spread of disease' can be issued."

Mr Walters said that the decision highlighted the extreme contrast between the Welsh government's failure to grasp the nettle and the Westminster government's decision to stand by a robust decision in order to save the lives of cattle.

"The scientific and economical arguments in favour of a badger cull in Wales are irrefutable. The Welsh government's own figures suggest that vaccination will lead to an overall loss of £3.5 million, whereas a cull would have actually saved money as well as cattle lives.

"The Welsh government has bottled it over a decision regarding which the English government has stood its ground."

Mr Walters said he hoped the Badger Trust would not launch an appeal against the decision as this was likely to delay a cull and cause more English cattle to be culled because of bTB.

"The Badger Trust challenged the Welsh decision and ultimately stopped a cull going ahead in Wales. That has led to more cattle being culled and more financial losses and devastation for farming families in West Wales than would otherwise have been the case.

"I hope that they show some compassion over the border and finally accept what needs to be done to control this disease so we can all look forward to badgers and cattle sharing an environment which is free of bovine TB."

[caption id="attachment_3835" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Alwyn Vaughan[/caption]

Family farmer, 53-year-old Alwyn Vaughan of Maesmochnant, Llanrhaeadr Ym Mochnant, is the Farmers' Union of Wales new Montgomeryshire county chairman.

He and his wife Rhiannon have three sons, Rhys (25), Iwan (23) and Sion (19). Rhys works full-time on the family farm while Iwan and Sion work away from the farm but both give 100 per cent commitment to help when at home.

For a number of years, Alwyn has run the farm after being given the reins by his father. He is now the third generation on the family-run farm.

He attended Oswestry/Walford College on day release, studying agriculture for three years. "We farm in the fertile Tanant Valley where we run a 'Dol a Hendre' system (upland and lowland).

"We milk 100 dairy cows, rear all the calves for dairy replacements and beef and have 1,000 mule Texel x mule ewes. We sell milk to Arla, all beef is sold to ABP (Anglo Beef Producers) and all lambs are sold through Oswestry Market."