[caption id="attachment_7021" align="alignleft" width="300"] FUW Ceredigion County Chairman Anwen Hughes welcomes Welsh Government Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee delegates to her farm Bryngido[/caption]

In a bid to highlight just how much #FarmingMatters to the wider rural economy, the Farmers’ Union of Wales, alongside local businesses, met the National Assembly for Wales Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee at a Ceredigion farm, just outside of New Quay.

Putting the spotlight firmly on the wider rural economy and to showcase some of the struggles farmers face, FUW Ceredigion County Chairman Anwen Hughes opened the gates to her home farm Bryngido.

Here Anwen Hughes farms around 138 acres, of which 99 acres are owned, 22.5 acres are on a lifetime farm tenancy and a further 17 acres are rented.

She keeps 100 pedigree Lleyn sheep, 30 purebred Highland sheep and 300 cross bred Lleyn and Highland ewes and has been farming since 1995.

Last year the farm business contributed over £30,000 to the local economy helping to sustain feed merchants, vets and contractors who work in Ceredigion.

Opening the visit was FUW President Glyn Roberts, who said: “When we look at our Welsh countryside and speak to the myriad of people up and down the country, everyone will say that their area is the most beautiful, and that’s because beauty is in the eye of the beholder. All of us will say so, not only in terms of the landscape, the sights, sounds and tranquillity, but also the culture of the people, which in places is deep-rooted in farming and all the industries which surround it.

“With that in mind of course, what we are talking about extends far beyond these romantic ideas; agriculture in communities is not only a backbone for the Welsh language – sometimes, sadly, a last haven - but also provides employment for a vast number of people, both directly, and through services provided by a host of businesses.

“And of course, farmers provide the one commodity besides water that people must have to live – namely food. In Wales and the UK, we are blessed with the products of remarkably successful policies aimed at producing constant supplies of cheap food.”

Mr Roberts added that we have been spoiled by those supplies, to the extent that we now take food for granted, something most of the world’s population do not have the luxury of doing, with some even suggesting that we should rely more on other countries for this most essential commodity.

The Union President highlighted that our ecosystems exist not despite farming, but because of farming, and while many mistakes have been made over the years, and some continue to be made, anything that threatens the viability of agriculture also threatens our ecosystems, our economy, and the beauty which attracts so many visitors to Wales each year.

Committee delegates then heard about some of the struggles Anwen Hughes faces in the current climate, as she said: “I would love for my husband and son to work with me on the farm but there is just not enough money coming in from the farm business to sustain all the wages. Last year was a challenging year. I would also love to add a herd of cattle as a second line of income to the farm, but there is so much red tape and bureaucracy around, not to mention the threat of bovine TB, that it would be of no financial benefit to our business. It is also very expensive to start such a venture up, and the business doesn’t generate that spare cash to invest, which is very frustrating.  ”

Following an introduction to the farm business and a tour of the farm, Committee delegates had the opportunity to speak to more than 20 businesses who were represented on the day, including Accountant Sarah Lloyd, Barclays Bank, Mole Valley, Dunbia, Sainsburys, Awesome Pork Butchers & farm Shop, Nigel Howells Grassland Consultant, Evans Brothers Llanrhystud, Agri Advisor, Morgan & Davies auctioneers, feed merchant Dafydd WD Lewis, Gwilli Jones Lampeter, FUW Insurance Services, Kiwi Kit, Geraint Jones 4x4 Carmarthen, Lloyds Bank, Agrii and Dyfed Telecom.

Mark Thomas who represented Agrii, a national business providing agronomy advice, precision farming services and supplying crop protection, seed and fertiliser inputs to farmers across the UK, told us why farming matters to them, saying that: “We employ around 800 people across the UK and around 50 of those are actively involved in Welsh arable farming. Farming matters to me because we have 800 families and mortgages in our organisation that are dependent on the success of agriculture in Britain, but also farming forms an important part in the local environment, which keeps communities together.”

Representing the agricultural section of Lloyds bank was Wyn Hinds, who said: “Farming Matters to us because we aim to have Britain succeed and agriculture is a core part of our businesses. We are here for the long haul and we want to see agriculture surviving, thriving and being a sustainable industry in this country for many years to come.”

Rhian Rees from Y Sied Gêc, a merchant’s yard selling animal feeds, pet & equine supplies, added that: “The business was started 2 years ago to supply feed etc to local farmers and smallholders from the Siêd in Llwyncelyn, Aberaeron.

“Although I only employ casual staff at the premises, the business supports many staff indirectly, as in staff producing pet and animal feeds, office staff for administration work and drivers of local haulage companies who deliver the feed.

“Being in a very rural area, our business is entirely reliant on the Agriculture sector, and it is so important that the industry is strong, not only for the future of the family farm but for all businesses in a rural area.  The hardship that the agriculture economy is facing at the moment is affecting everyone!”

The Reverend Canon Eileen Davies, who is the Rural Affairs Advisor for the Church in Wales in the diocese of St David's and who is no stranger to running a farm herself, said: “I well and truly realise what agriculture means for the whole of the rural economy. I compare agriculture to a huge oak because there are so many branches that actually depend on agriculture. It is also vital for the wellbeing of our rural areas in ensuring that we are able to keep our young families here in the rural heart of Ceredigion and not lose them to the big cities, because we need that financial impact in our rural areas and that support. Having a rural area that is sustainable is vital for the whole of Wales.”

Dunbia’s chief livestock buyer Wyn Williams, said: “Dunbia employs 4,000 people across the UK and Ireland and approximately 800 are employed in the two sites in Wales based at Llanybydder and Felinfach.

[caption id="attachment_7022" align="alignright" width="300"] Welsh Government Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee delegates heard why #FarmingMatters to Ceredigion and Wales[/caption]

“The importance of the agriculture industry to the UK economy cannot be underestimated.  Wales has an agriculture industry which it can be rightly proud of, and which can, and is competing on an international stage.  It is important that all stakeholders work together to ensure that we grow and develop a sustainable and profitable industry for all.”

FUW Ceredigion County Executive Officer Mared Rand Jones said: “Family farms in particular are at the heart of our rural economy - as we can see here at Bryngido. Farms like these are caring for our landscape, and of course our culture and they make innumerable other contributions to the well-being of Wales and the UK. The FUW has long maintained that Welsh food production sustains tens of thousands of other businesses – from upstream businesses such as feed merchants, agricultural contractors and engineers, to downstream businesses such as hauliers, processors and retailers and it is evident that for every pound generated on farm, around 6 pounds is spent in the wider economy.”

She added saying: “Look at the Wales wide statistics - we have 14,317 sheep farms, 1,758 dairy farms, 8,613 farms on which non-dairy cattle are kept, and 1,478 pig farms.

“And all those farms, no matter how big or small, were responsible for spending an average of £1.2 billion on products supplied by local secondary and tertiary businesses (2014 figures). We must not forget that Welsh agriculture employs 60,000 people in full time, part time, and seasonal employment.”

[caption id="attachment_7012" align="alignleft" width="300"] FUW Ceredigion County Executive Officer Mared Rand Jones promotes benefits of milk and udder-things at Aberystwyth University Freshers Fair[/caption]

Aberystwyth freshers today learnt about the health benefits of drinking milk and making it part of their daily diet, as the Farmers’ Union of Wales handed out free flavoured milk samples to students on campus.

Joining the Aberystwyth University Freshers Fair was FUW Ceredigion County Executive Officer Mared Rand Jones, who said: “Drinking milk and making it part of your daily diet is so underrated and I am really pleased that we got that message across to first year students here today. Milk and dairy products have an important part to play in our daily diet as they provide an important source of protein and calcium and contain essential vitamins and minerals, all of which are needed for a balanced diet.

“There are many other benefits associated with drinking milk, some of which our students were not aware of. For example, it has been said that thanks to the many vitamins and minerals that are in milk, it can work as a stress reliever. After a long, hard day at of lectures and studying, sit down and drink a warm glass of milk. It really can help to relieve muscle tension and soothe your nerves.

“Milk is great for many things and can also help in boosting your energy. When you’re struggling to get through the day and you need a little pick-me-up, an ice cold glass of milk can help you feel revitalised in no time and is much healthier than many sugary energy drinks.”

The FUW further encouraged Freshers to make sure they buy Welsh milk and dairy products when out doing their weekly shopping.

“We also used this opportunity to encourage students to make sure they buy Welsh milk and dairy products such as butter, cheese and yoghurts. With that they support our home dairy industries and of course all those second and third sector businesses associated with agriculture. Our dairy farmers have had a rough ride over recent years and need all the support they can get - buying Welsh produce whenever we can is something everyone of us can do to support the cause and boost the rural economy in doing so,” she added.

[caption id="attachment_7013" align="aligncenter" width="300"] FUW Ceredigion County Executive Officer Mared Rand Jones and Aberystwyth University Pro Vice-Chancellor Dr Rhodri Llwyd Morgan[/caption]

The Meirionnydd branch of Farmers’ Union of Wales, in conjunction with FWAG Cymru, are hosting a farm visit on Monday, October 3, to showcase the way in which the Glastir scheme and use of a biomass boiler can benefit a farm business.

The event is being held at Blaen Cwm, Cynllwyd Llanuwchllyn by kind permission of Mr and Mrs Wyn Jones and family, and is due to commence at 11am.

Visitors will have the opportunity to see the land and stock, the various elements of the Glastir scheme, and the Biomass scheme. The family also has an additional business of a mobile saw mill/bench, using the waste for the Biomass boiler.

The main guest speaker on the day will be Simon Thomas AM, Plaid Cymru spokesperson for the Welsh Government Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee and there will be an opportunity for visitors to discuss the latest on agricultural policies. Joining the event will be FUW Meirionnydd County President Tegwyn Jones, who is also chairman of FWAG Cymru.

Blaen Cwm is situated at approximately 5 miles from the village of Llanuwchllyn near Bala (there will be signs giving directions from the village).  The farm is approximately 1000 feet above sea level and much of the land reaches far beyond 2000 feet.

The family farm extends to 640 acres, being mostly mountain land with only 50 acres of lower land with 25 acres of this being kept to produce silage every year. They also have 650 acres at Llanymawddwy and a 300 acre farm near Llawryglyn at Llanidloes.

High quality stock are kept, which includes 600 Welsh mountain ewes and a Welsh Mountain Ram, turned out to all of them at Blaen Cwm.  The family keep 500 ewes at Llawr y Glyn, where they use Improved Welsh Rams as well as Beltex Cross Suffolk rams.  There is also a herd of 15 suckler cows, all of which are Welsh Black, and are crossed with a Limousin bull.  Calves are sold as store cattle between 12-18 months at the livestock market in Dolgellau and most lambs are sold directly to the Randall Parker slaughterhouse at Llanidloes through local auctioneers Farmers Marts.

Blaen Cwm has been able to take advantage of agri-environment schemes over recent years, and the family see farming and conservation as going hand in hand. The farm has been in the Glastir Entry scheme since 2014 and in the Advanced scheme since 2015.

FUW Meirionnydd County Executive Officer Huw Jones said: “I would like to extend a warm welcome to all to join us for what promises to be an informative day out on farm and to see the benefits of using a biomass boiler for themselves.”

For those interested in attending the event, please contact the FUW Dolgellau office on 01341 422298. There will be light refreshments kindly sponsored by Birch Farm Plastics.

Welsh Assembly Members are today being reminded of the importance of tackling bovine TB effectively, by the Farmers’ Union Wales. The reminder comes five days before the issue of bovine TB is being discussed at the Assembly on Wednesday, September 28.

In a statement, FUW President Roberts said: “I would like to remind all Assembly Members of how critical it is that Welsh Government implements a strategy that effectively tackles bovine TB in both cattle and wildlife, without that happening it is hard to see how we can secure trade deals with European Nations post-Brexit.

“The total number of Welsh cattle slaughtered in 2015 due to bTB  has gone up by 27% from 2014 and now counts for  8,103 cattle slaughtered a year. That’s 675 cattle per month, 169 per week and 24 cattle slaughtered every day!

“I implore our elected members to not ignore those figures and to listen to the advice the Welsh Government has previously received.”

The 2012 report of the Bovine Tuberculosis Subgroup of the EU Task Force for Monitoring Animal Disease Eradication details that the European Commission have recognised the link between badgers and bovine TB transmission to cattle. The report also stressed that moving from a cull to a vaccination programme meant that the eradication programme in Wales had lost momentum.

Mr Roberts said that the official advice received by the Welsh Government in 2011 estimated that culling badgers in the Intensive Action Area could be expected to save farmers and government £31,000, whereas vaccination was likely to lead to a net cost of £3.5 million.

“As expected, the badger vaccination programme in the Intensive Action Area has not worked, and Welsh Government must grasp the nettle and tackle the disease in wildlife.

“Let me be absolutely clear: controlling the disease in both the cattle and badger populations remains imperative to achieving bovine TB eradication in Wales - this is for the sake of our future, our children's future and with that securing trade deals for the UK as whole in light of our exit from the European Union,” added Mr Roberts.

[caption id="attachment_7003" align="alignleft" width="300"] 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.

The Wales State of Nature Report 2016 provides welcome recognition of the important role played by farmers in conservation, but places misguided emphasis on some environmental factors, the Farmers’ Union of Wales has said.

Responding to the report, FUW Land Use Committee Chairman Gavin Williams said: “While we would certainly not agree with some of the assertions made in the Welsh State of Nature Report, I welcome the fact that it is far more balanced than the UK report in terms of recognising the positive role of farmers in conservation, and the validity of concerns we have been raising for decades.”

Amongst those concerns are the fact that under-grazing – sometimes as a result of agri-environment scheme rules – is having a damaging effect on many species and habitats, said Mr Williams.

“It is heartening that 67 percent of the priority species assessed in the report are classified as stable or increasing in numbers. However, for those species which are not performing so well we do need to consider what actions must be taken.”

Mr Williams said that a proper assessment of the factors influencing such declines should be undertaken.

“The various state of nature reports across the UK recognise factors such as increases in avian and mammalian predators, and the abandonment of grazing, burning and cutting, all of which have a negative impact on species and habitats.

“There is a growing recognition of the environmental damage that under-management and the loss of farming has had, and would have if we were to see farming becoming even less financially viable, and these concerns are starting to be reflected in reports such as this.”

However, Mr Williams said there were still those who reach for the farming scapegoat whenever they are faced with problems, and remain in denial about uncomfortable truths such as the fact that growing numbers of predators are dining out on some of our most endangered species.

“Politicians and environmentalists need to be honest with themselves and the general public about factors such as predation, otherwise they risk causing further damage to the environment.”

Mr Williams emphasised that despite some differences, there was a vast amount of common ground between the farming community and the authors of the report, and that the FUW would continue to work with other bodies in order to secure an economically and environmentally sustainable future for Welsh agriculture.

“Our Farming Matters campaign emphasises the fact that farming is important to everything we have and do in Wales, and that includes our environment and the species which make Wales such a unique place,” he added.