FUW's Gwent branch is organising a charity quiz night to raise funds for Wales Air Ambulance, the union president Gareth Vaughan's 2010 charity.

The quiz will be held at Abergavenny RFC on Tuesday November 23, commencing at 7.30pm, with teams of no more than five taking part. Entry fee per team is £20 with cash prizes for the top three and light refreshments for all who attend.

There will also be a raffle, and an auction of donated items. Members are urged to consider supporting the event by entering a team, donating a raffle prize, item for the auction or all three.

The union's Gwent county executive officer Glyn Davies said: "The Wales Air Ambulance is particularly vital in the rural community, providing emergency support and quick access to hospitals in times of accident or illness.

"This is a very worthwhile cause and the quiz night is an opportunity for the agricultural community to show its appreciation and support."

Members should send their entry fee or donation to FUW's Gwent office at Park Chambers, 10 Hereford Road, Abergavenny NP7 5PR by Wednesday November 17.

[caption id="attachment_4985" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Rupert Moon receives his gold medal from FUW president Gareth Vaughan with First Minister Carwyn Jones.[/caption]

Ex-Welsh rugby international Rupert Moon has won a Farmers' Union of Wales gold medal in recognition of his help in arranging parades of Welsh Black bulls around the hallowed turfs of Cardiff's Millennium Stadium and Llanelli's former Stradey Park.

Moon received the medal, one of a limited edition struck to mark the FUW's 50th anniversary in 2005, for his enthusiastic assistance when past Welsh Black Cattle Society Trefor Jones and his son Huw led young bulls around Stradey Park before the Scarlets’ Heineken Cup matches against Perpignan in 2003 - when the French banned imports of UK beef due to the foot and mouth outbreak - and the Millennium Stadium before the 2006 Wales-New Zealand match.

FUW president Gareth Vaughan said Moon, former Welsh Rugby Union head of group commercial and business development and now the Scarlets' commercial director, was a "very good friend" of the FUW.

The former Llanelli and Wales scrum-half was master of ceremonies at a recent FUW-organised fund-raising dinner to mark the 150th anniversary of the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI).

Mr Vaughan presented a second gold medal to FUW member Bryn Davies, of Llansawel, near Llandeilo, a RABI trustee for many years.

"Bryn worked incredibly hard for RABI and helped hundreds of beneficiaries during that time, travelling to all parts of Wales," said Mr Vaughan.

Current food labelling regulations are inadequate and vague, Carmarthenshire West & South Pembrokeshire's Conservative MP Simon Hart told a recent meeting of the Farmers' Union of Wales' Carmarthenshire county executive committee.

"An Ombudsman, when in place, will deal with this issue," added Mr Hart before committee members suggested the FUW should take every opportunity to continue lobbying MPs on the importance of correct labelling.

Mr Hart, former chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, gave details of his background which is closely linked to the agricultural sector, with some of his close relatives currently farming in Carmarthenshire.

He raised concerns about proposals to reduce the number of MPs as it would be harder to have the voice of Wales heard in Central Government.

He also referred to the work of Defra's red tape Tsar Richard Macdonald who recently urged farmers to have their say on over-regulation.

Mr Hart said Central Government worked in partnership with the Welsh Assembly Government who are much closer to electors and the general public.

The issue of hunting was included in the Conservative manifesto, but he believed that this would not be taken further until mid-2015.

Members raised questions and debated a variety of other topics such as Defra's bovine TB-badger control consultation and environmental issues such as food production and carbon footprint.

The Farmers' Union of Wales today called for an urgent review of Brecon Beacons National Park Authority's (BBNPA) role after a BBC Wales TV programme highlighted major failings involving its planning department.

Speaking after the "Week In, Week Out" documentary was aired on Tuesday evening, the union's Brecon and Radnor county chairman Brian Bowen said: "The programme reiterates numerous concerns raised by the FUW over the years and highlights the fact that our concerns are shared widely by residents and organisations within the National Park.

"There is a real feeling amongst members that the Park Authority does little for those people who live and work here and the documentary provides yet further evidence of the need for a review of the park's role and whether its planning duties should be taken away from it."

FUW county executive officer Aled Jones said he had encountered numerous examples of problems experienced by members.

"In one case a farmer was told an old barn could only be converted to holiday accommodation, and not for habitation by a farm worker and local residents, which is hardly supportive of local communities and employment.

"In another, an officer of the park authority gave a member permission to complete work, only for another officer to write to him eight months later after the work was complete stating that she disagreed with the original decision, and that that the development was a breach of planning control and could be demolished.

"Our member took the case to appeal at a cost of more than £20,000, while the BBNP used public money to employ the services of a barrister to fight a case which they ultimately lost."

Mr Jones said that communication within the planning department seemed to be severely lacking. On several occasions he had written, telephoned and e-mailed them but received no reply.

"When dealing with planning enquiries with Powys County Council I have had a far better experience and have often found officers to be helpful, informative and willing to make site visits when requested."

Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones will be the keynote speaker at the annual general meeting of the Farmers' Union of Wales Caernarfonshire county branch, which will take place at Caernarfon Golf Club this Friday, November 5 at 7.30pm.

The event is sponsored by the HSBC bank, and Nigel Davies, HSBC's head of agriculture banking in Wales, will also be speaking at the event.

FUW County Chairman Morgan Jones-Parry said: "It promises to be a very interesting evening, with the controversial Glastir scheme being very high on the agenda. It will also be interesting to hear what HSBC thinks of the new agri-environment scheme."

There will be a question and answer session following the presentations, and the meeting will be an excellent opportunity for members to highlight any concerns they have regarding the Glastir agri-environment scheme and other topical issues.

The annual meeting of the Farmers' Union of Wales Denbighshire county branch will take place at Coleg Llysfasi, Ruthin, on Monday November 8 at 7pm.

The guest speakers are the Welsh Assembly Government's head of CAP reform David Morris and the principal of the recently merged Coleg Llysfasi and Deeside College David Jones.

There will be a question and answer session following their presentations and the meeting will be an excellent opportunity for members to inform Mr Morris of their problems with the Glastir agri-environment scheme.

"We are hoping for a good attendance and anticipate an excellent discussion about Glastir and the merger of Coleg Llysfasi and Deeside College," said FUW county executive officer Marian Jones.