[caption id="attachment_6720" align="alignleft" width="300"] The work suggests drastic falls in the areas used for arable production, particularly in mountainous parishes since the 1840s, and a significant increase in farm woodland in lowland and upland regions during the same period.[/caption]

A ground-breaking study comparing Welsh land use in the 1840s with current practices suggests dramatic falls in agricultural and particularly arable land use, even in Wales’ most mountainous regions.

“A summary of preliminary comparisons between Welsh land use in the 1840s and 2015 in Wales’ non-LFA, DA and SDA areas” summarises initial findings from a study co-funded by the Farmers’ Union of Wales.

The study compares agricultural land use in six Welsh parishes, as recorded in tithe records in the 1840s and digitised through the Heritage Lottery funded Cynefin project, with equivalent anonymised data recorded in the 2015 Integrated Administration Control System (IACS) – records which must be updated annually by farmers under Common Agricultural Policy rules.

Cynefin Project Manager Einion Gruffudd said: “There are striking similarities between the data recorded in tithe records some 175 years ago and the data recorded annually by farmers on the IACS system. Both are linked to detailed maps and include field numbers, field areas and land uses as well as other comparable data.

“The tithe maps and records are being transcribed and digitised by an army of more than 900 volunteers through the cynefin.wales website, meaning comparisons with data extracted from the modern IACS database can be made at the click of a button.”

The initial comparisons have been made between areas recorded as arable; meadow and pasture; and woodland in six parishes distributed throughout Wales – a total area of 34 square miles (88km2); two parishes in each of Wales’ non-Less Favoured Area (non-LFA); Disadvantaged Area (DA) and Severely Disadvantaged Area (SDA).

[caption id="attachment_6721" align="alignright" width="300"] The original 1840s tithe map of the mountainous north Wales parish of Dolbenmaen, Caernarfonshire, overlaid with crop use data extracted from the Cynefin database. The map shows the large proportion of fields used for arable production (yellow) at the time.[/caption]

The comparison suggests a fall in the proportion of land given over to those three main land uses of 20%, from 74% in the 1840s, to 59% in 2015, with the fall greatest in the SDA areas considered – down from 65% to 42%. The fall is lowest in the DA areas considered - down from 82% in the 1840s to 76% in 2015.

Particularly pronounced reductions are seen in the areas devoted to arable production since the 1840s in all land categories; an overall reduction of 85% for all areas (from 2561ha in the 1840s to 385ha in 2015), and a reduction of 80% (from 573ha to 114ha), 82% (from 1427ha to 261ha) and 98% (from 561ha to 9ha) for non-LFA, DA and SDA areas respectively.

The total area of farm woodland for all land categories was found to have increased significantly by 56% (from 264ha in the 1840s to 415ha in 2015), comprising an increase of 76% (from 77ha to 136ha), 0% (115ha – no change) and 123% (from 71ha to 159ha) for non-LFA, DA and SDA areas respectively.

FUW head of policy Nick Fenwick, co-author of the report, said: “These are preliminary findings relating to just six parishes, and there is a great deal more to do in terms of deciphering and analysing the data.

“However, the results appear to confirm known patterns in terms of changes in land use within different areas, and suggest that the scale of those changes are drastic, particularly in terms of the reduction in cultivation.”

He said careful account should be taken of such results by those considering and advocating changes in land use, particularly for environmental purposes.

“While these comparisons span a period of around 175 years, many of the most significant changes, such as the abandonment of arable production and the creation of vast forestry plantations, occurred over the last century, and particularly after the Second World War.

[caption id="attachment_6722" align="alignleft" width="300"] The original 1840s tithe map of the parish of Llanfechain, Montgomeryshire, overlaid with crop use data extracted from the Cynefin database, showing the prevalence of arable production.[/caption]

“In our experience, many of the restrictions placed on farmers for environmental reasons have been introduced with little or no reference to historical land use, while some seem to be based upon inaccurate preconceptions about farming rather than evidence.

“In many cases restrictions are based upon highly inaccurate habitat maps which bear little relation to reality, and nobody has bothered to ask the families who have been farming the land for centuries about how their farming practices and grazing patterns may have changed.”

Mr Fenwick said that while environmental management had brought major benefits in some areas, restrictions in others, particularly in terms of the removal of grazing livestock, have caused huge damage.

[caption id="attachment_6723" align="alignright" width="300"] Graph showing the large proportion of land given over to arable production, even in the uplands, and the degree to which that proportion has declined.[/caption]

“The information digitised through the Cynefin project is invaluable in terms of establishing a baseline for measuring at a large scale how the environment and land use have changed over the years.

“It will also help provide a clearer picture as to whether it is really appropriate and in fact potentially damaging to the environment to penalise people for ploughing fields that their forefathers were ploughing routinely and growing crops on from the 1840s well into the 1950s,” he added.

A copy of the report can be accessed here: FUW Cynefin Study Preliminary Findings

A busy two-day show is planned at the Farmers’ Union of Wales Anglesey stand at the islands county show next week (Tuesday August 9 - Wednesday August 10).

The Union branch is starting the event with a pre-Show ‘meet-and-greet’ cheese and wine reception hosted by the Anglesey President and Chairman Tom Jones on Monday, August 8 starting at 7pm.

“The pre-show meet-and-greet will provide an ideal opportunity for those local businesses in attendance to meet some of our members and also get us in the mood for what promises to be a busy and successful show where we will be promoting #FarmingMatters,” said FUW Anglesey County Executive Officer Heidi Williams.

Local celebrity chef Melfyn Thomas will be cooking up a storm at the Union stand on both days using a variety of local produce, which are bound to tickle the taste buds of those stopping by.

In addition, Union officials will be presenting FUW rosettes to all young livestock handlers over the course of the show.

“We have been doing this for the past 9 years. It ensures that although a child might not have won a prize, they still get a rosette to take home,” said Heidi Williams.

The afternoon will see the Anglesey branch launch a new road safety campaign in cooperation with North Wales Police.

The campaign - “Arrive alive don’t text and drive!” -  is aimed at tractor drivers and those driving farm machinery on public roads.

“Using a mobile phone, sat nav or any similar device whilst driving means that your attention is distracted from the road and that, as we all know, is incredibly dangerous.

“Studies over the years have shown that those of us who are using a hands-free or handheld mobile phone are slower at recognising and reacting to hazards - and if you’re in a farm vehicle like a tractor you all of a sudden become a very big hazard to yourself and other road users.

“Even careful drivers can be distracted by a call or text – and a split-second lapse in concentration could result in a crash. Therefor, we are working together with North Wales Police to raise awareness of the problem and are asking drivers to switch off their phones before they drive off. Even if you’re using a hands-free phone you should avoid making or answering calls when driving. And if you call someone and they tell you they are driving, ask them to call you back when they have parked up safely,” said Heidi Williams.

Creating an afternoon buzz will be Katie Hayward of Felin Honeybees, who will be at the FUW stand on Tuesday, talking about beekeeping.

Her honey will be used in the cooking demonstrations by Melfyn Thomas over the 2 days as well.

The Wednesday of the show will see the FUW welcoming an array of politicians to its stand to discuss #FarmingMatters, including Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths.

Additionally, the winner of the Welsh Colour Card competition will be announced at 11am on Wednesday and the county branch will present the winning YFC club with a cheque of £250 and the official Welsh Colour Card.

The Anglesey branch launched the competition at the start of the year in co-operation with “Snowcem Plus” and the Wales YFC.

“In Wales alone we spend millions of pounds on paint, so we thought it would be nice if we could have the colours named to represent parts of Wales such as sunsets, green meadows, beaches, mountains etc. anything basically that promotes our heritage and culture of rural areas within Wales.

“The creation of a Welsh colour card is the very first of its kind and we are pleased to have teamed up with the UK’s and Europe’s largest distributor of a famous traditional masonry coating “Snowcem Plus” to give their product a local Welsh feel,” added Heidi Williams.

Children who have participated in the FUW Anglesey primary school competitions, which are sponsored by Katie Hayward of Felin Honeybees, will receive their prize presentations on Wednesday afternoon.

Awards will be presented to the winner of the year 0 to 2 category who designed a birthday card including a bee, year 3 to 4 who drew a picture of a garden including a bee and year 5 to 6 who were asked to write a short story entitled ‘The Busy Bee’.

Amongst the individual prizes, there will also be an overall prize allowing the successful child to enjoy “Be a beekeeper experience for a day”.

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.

The Brecon and Radnor branch of the Farmers’ Union of Wales is looking forward to highlight #FarmingMatters at this year’s Brecon County Show (Saturday, August 6).

The event is being held at The Showground, The Watton, Brecon and attracts over 10,000 people.

FUW Brecon and Radnor County Executive Officer Aled Jones, said: “We are once again excited to represent our industry and highlight why #FarmingMatters so much to our rural economy at our county show.

“We are also encouraging visitors to post their concerns, ideas and comments about the way forward for agriculture following the EU referendum result in the agricultural post box.

“It promises to be an exciting day and we look forward to welcoming our members and friends of the Union to our stand. So if you’re around, please stop by for a cuppa and chat.”

Each year 400 horses, 100 cattle and over 400 sheep are entered to the show and the major shearing competition, poultry show, classes for goats, a novelty and exemption dog show and a dog agility competition, will provide plenty of entertainment for all the family.

This year the main ring is host to the spectacular “Portsmouth Action Field Gun Display Team” and the full program of competition and attractions throughout the day are not to be missed.

The Farmers’ Union of Wales is looking forward to a busy week promoting #FarmingMatters at the National Eisteddfod, near Abergavenny this year (July 30 - August 6).

“Visitors to the FUW stand will have an opportunity to find out why #FarmingMatters so much to our rural economy and of course Welsh rural life. A warm welcome is offered to all those who are attending the National Eisteddfod and I hope to see many of our members at our stand,” said FUW Gwent County Executive Officer Glyn Davies.

Following on from the success at the Royal Welsh Show, the FUW is encouraging visitors throughout the Eisteddfod week to post their concerns, ideas and comments about the way forward for agriculture following the EU referendum result in the agricultural post box.

The Monday (August 1) of the National Eisteddfod will see the FUW welcoming the Offa’s Dyke walkers, who on behalf of the Union conquered the 177 miles in a bid to raise vital funds for the British Heart Foundation Cymru.

In addition the FUW is joining in with the Hybu Cig Cymru - Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) Lamb day celebrations.

A revival of an ancient summer tradition is set to kick off a renewed marketing campaign for Welsh Lamb in the UK market. 2016’s summer and autumn PGI Welsh Lamb campaign, run by Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) will take place across a wide range of different media.

It will feature chefs and food writers as ‘lambassadors’, new booklets containing simple and tasty summer lamb recipes, competitions for consumers, and will also see events to inaugurate ‘Llamb’s Day’ on August 1, to coincide with the best new season lamb being widely available.

The idea behind celebrating Welsh Lamb at the beginning of August is to build on old feasting traditions across Europe, which commemorate this day as the first harvest festival – known as Calan Awst, Lammas or Lughnasadh.

The day will kick off a number of marketing initiatives, including demonstrations and tastings in supermarkets during August, which will build on the year-round marketing efforts of HCC in the UK and export markets.

“In the afternoon visitors to the Union stand can sample lamb dishes prepared by HCC and we look forward to the presentation of new Welsh lamb and beef recipe brochures,” added Glyn Davies..

On Wednesday (August 3) the FUW is welcoming the Abergavenny Tourist Group to the stand and on Thursday (August 4), the Union will welcome the Police and Crime Commissioner and Farm Watch co-ordinator for Gwent, Jeff Cuthbert.

‘Welsh Language in Agriculture’ will be the theme of the day on Friday (August 5) as the Welsh Language Commissioner Meri Huws will talk to Castell Howell Foods owner Brian Jones about the impact and importance of the language to the company and its customers.

Speaking ahead of the National Eisteddfod, FUW Managing Director Alan Davies said: “When we talk about our rural economy and as part of that of course rural life, the important role of the Welsh language, can’t be ignored.

“If you want a clear indication of the cultural importance of farming you need only consider this: in Ceredigion for example, less than 50 percent of the population now speak Welsh. But within the farming community the percentage is close to 100%.

“With this in mind Welsh-speaking further education students from rural areas of Wales, in fact all of our young people, must be given every opportunity to return to jobs and homes in their own communities to help preserve the language but also to provide them with the opportunity to contribute to our rural economy.

“Every effort must be made to motivate young people to speak Welsh and give them plenty of opportunity to use the language in their workplace.”

The FUW further maintains that older members of staff working for any organisation should be motivated and encouraged to either learn the language or further improve their Welsh language skills.

“We are always keen to highlight the importance of organisations that operate in Welsh, as we do, and serve the community through the medium of Welsh, in ensuring that young Welsh speakers are employed in their local areas.

“We must acknowledge the fact that there are changing language patterns out there but, a strong Welsh economy needs to be supported by our language, to ensure we keep our Welsh identity,” said Alan Davies.

“So our stand 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 proposal for consultation to relax import restrictions on Welsh and British lamb and beef into the United States of America, which could generate an extra £35 million for the UK economy, has been welcomed by the Farmers’ Union of Wales.

Farming Minister George Eustice confirmed that the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has published the proposals, which is a significant step forward.

“This could mean that Welsh and British lamb and beef may well be available for US consumers by early 2017 and with that opens an export market to 300 million consumers for our first class quality produce,” said FUW President Glyn Roberts.

A 1,000-page dossier was submitted to the USDA detailing the safety and quality of British beef and lamb ahead of April’s trade talks with US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack in Washington.

“We have met with both George Eustice and with USDA representatives Stan Phillips, Counselor for Agricultural Affairs and Steve Knight, Agricultural Specialist last week at the Royal Welsh Show to discuss #FarmingMatters and as part of those meetings we also highlighted the importance of trade deals for our economy in a post-Brexit world.

“Now more than ever we need to explore other markets, and the US market is one we are keen to develop much stronger relationships with, so this comes as most welcome news. It will also help us in trade negotiations with our allies in the Commonwealth and other countries around the world.”

Defra is now co-ordinating UK farming industry comment for the 60-day consultation and liaising with relevant US trade associations to gain support for proposals.