The Farmers’ Union of Wales has hosted a panel discussion, in conjunction with the Care Council for Wales, about working together to make our rural communities more resilient.

Chairing the meeting was Care Council Chief Executive Sue Evans.

Panel members included Cllr Gareth Roberts, Gwynedd Council cabinet member for adult services, Glyn Roberts, Farmers’ Union of Wales President, Sara Moseley, Director, Mind Cymru and Sarah McCarty, Director of Workforce Learning and Development, Care Council.

Speaking after the meeting, FUW President Glyn Roberts, said: “Many people in rural Wales can be quite isolated. The FUW, through its county office structure helps to keep in contact with members and those who might feel isolated and promotes the economic and social well-being of rural areas in many ways.

“Because of the structure we have, we can speak to our members and that is important as it alleviates some of the pressure. By listening and checking on their emotional well-being we can support them in times of crisis. For many years we have supported farmers who were under severe stress because of for example a bovine TB breakdown, cattle being removed from the farm or unnerving letters arriving through the post from Government.

“As a Union we are there to help and support the rural community in any way we can. Another way we provide such support is by working with framing charities such as RABI, Farm Crisis Network and the Addington Fund.

“We also support many other charities that are invaluable in our rural communities such as Wales Air Ambulance, Cancer Research Wales, Ty Hafan and Ty Gobaith, and the British Heart Foundation Wales.

“All the FUW does is about #FarmingMatters, reminding people that #FarmingMatters and helping those in need with #FarmingMatters.

“The family farm is recognised as the powerhouse of our rural economies and the most appropriate source of UK agricultural produce and if you want a clear indication of the cultural importance of farming you need only consider this: in Ceredigion, less than 50 percent of the population now speak Welsh. But within the farming community the percentage is close to 100%. The FUW supports and promotes the use of the Welsh language.

“The FUW has also long been a strong supporter for the YFC - let’s consider the value of the Young Farmers Clubs playing such diverse and vital roles in their communities where they also protect our culture and language so very effectively. There can be no doubt that farming holds these groups together and makes them a real force in our rural communities.

“Only this week we have asked for legislation to be drafted that mandates the procurement of British produce by the UK public Sector. This will support rather than spite the sectors which lie at the heart of our rural economies and bring many benefits to our nations.”

Sue Evans, Chief Executive Care Council said: “We are very grateful to the FUW for allowing us to host the discussion here today, and for also taking the time to bring their expertise and reflections to the panel.

“The FUW work very closely with their members and are therefore able to bring an additional and very important perspective to the discussion.

“We know that rural communities face their own complex challenges and so the input of the FUW along with all our other panel guests will be crucial as we develop our care and support strategy for Welsh Government, which will be particularly important for those living in rural areas.”

[caption id="attachment_6664" align="alignleft" width="300"] FUW Vice President Brian Walters, FUW F&O Member Dewi Owen, FUW Deputy President Brian Thomas, Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths, FUW President Glyn Roberts, FUW Vice President Richard Vaughan and FUW F&O Member Brian Bowen[/caption]

A delegation of Farmers’ Union of Wales officials have today met with Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths at the Royal Welsh Show.

The positive discussions focused on farming matters, including succession planning and share-farming, as well as the issue of bovine TB and how best to prepare the industry for life post-Brexit.

Speaking after the meeting, FUW President Glyn Roberts, said: “This has been a peculiar  show week for us all - we are in unchartered territory and the level of uncertainty across our industry and that of our allied industries was felt in every meeting we have had so far.

“Meetings with banks, solicitors, chartered surveyors and land agents, highlighted the real concern out there and reinforced the need for more clarity.

“Our assets should be the will to change and move forward with life post-Brexit. But what we need government and those in power to understand is that agriculture acts like the nucleus in a cell. The cell - or in other words our rural economy - will only thrive if the nucleus as the centre of all operations, the role filled by our agricultural industry, is working well.

“We are where we are and it is important that we as an industry change with the times. We must as individuals and as an industry adapt to new circumstances and actively help to shape a better future.

“In every change there are opportunities  and we will continue to identify these and lead the argument and planning for a brighter, prosperous and sustainable agricultural industry in Wales.”

[caption id="attachment_6660" align="alignleft" width="300"] BT Wales and West Director for Next Generation Access Ed Hunt, BT Director Cymru Wales Alwen Williams and FUW Managing Director Alan Davies[/caption]

The Farmers’ Union of Wales has met with BT officials at the Royal Welsh Show to discuss developments in the sector and how to proactively encourage innovation.

With a focus on how to strengthen the agricultural industry in Wales through technology, Union officials highlighted the need for innovative ways of thinking in terms of fixed line connectivity and extended ways of delivery.

During the meeting, the FUW highlighted that large numbers of FUW members, farmers and rural communities are currently being placed at a major commercial and legal disadvantage due to a lack of access, a problem that could be solved by exploring alternatives to fixed line and fibre connectivity as a network delivery means.

Farmers’ Union of Wales Managing Director Alan Davies said: “What we need is to find the fastest way now to connect those in remote areas. If that means moving away from fixed-line solutions so be it. BT now own the mobile operator EE and have the capability to grow the network more rapidly than previously planned.

Both BT and FUW committed to working together to explore how digital solutions can help make farming more effective and efficient.

“Digital technology has transformed so many lives in other areas that we must look to exploit it in agriculture. That is why we are also establishing an Innovation Committee with the FUW,” said Alan Davies.

“It may not be exciting to some generations, but we also have to recognise that technology is second nature to many younger farmers in particular,” he added

[caption id="attachment_6657" align="alignleft" width="300"] Mr Laurence Harris, Mr Daniel Zhou and FUW Deputy President Brian Thomas[/caption]

The Farmers’ Union of Wales has long been involved in forging strong economic connections with China and has today (July 19) welcomed Managing Director of Goodwell China Marketing Services Co Ltd, Mr Daniel Zhou, to its pavilion in order to thank him for supporting the Welsh dairy industry.

Both Mr Zhou, who is visiting Wales, and Laurence Harris of Ffosyficer farm – the heart of the Daioni Organic business, were welcomed by FUW Deputy President Brian Thomas, who said: “I would first of all like to welcome Mr Zhou wholeheartedly to Wales - and what a perfect time to visit us.

“We are always honoured to meet our overseas trading partners and have done so for many years. It was during the 2010 lunch at the House of Lords that we welcomed Mr Zhou Xiaoming, Minister Counsellor of Economic and Commercial Office of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China and it was at the invitation of the FUW that he attended the 2010 Royal Welsh Show.

“Supporting our dairy industry and forging strong links for our export markets is at the forefront of everyone's mind, especially in light of our decision to exit the European Union. Rural Wales needs to be recognised for the part that it can play in building a vibrant Wales with a thriving rural economic powerhouse and businesses like Daioni Organic are a perfect example of just that.

“We must remember that such trade partnerships are only possible because of excellent people like Laurence Harris of Daioni Organic, who produce such wonderful dairy products that we can be proud to export across the world.

“In order to honour and thank our guest Mr Zhou for supporting our excellent and efficient dairy sector, I would today like to present him with the Farmers’ Union of Wales gold medal in recognition of his services to the Welsh dairy industry.”

Well known north Pembrokeshire organic dairy farmer Laurence Harris, who joined the meeting at the FUW pavilion, has taken Daioni Organic – meaning “goodness” – from strength to strength.

The brand’s humble beginnings began with a 150-acre farm in Pembrokeshire, Wales.  Since taking over Ffosyficer farm – still the heart of the Daioni business – from his father in 1970, Laurence expanded the family farm to well over 3,000 acres of fertile pasture.

“We initially set up the business with a single tanker and a couple of lorries and sent our milk to north Wales to be processed and packaged and in 2003 we launched Daioni, the first range of flavoured organic milk drinks in Britain,” added Mr Harris.

From the initial interest shown by local schools to put the product in their vending machines as an alternative to fizzy, sugary drinks, the business has flourished.

Today the range of products has grown to include organic fresh milk and cream, organic UHT/longlife milk, and flavoured milk.

In 2008 Daioni flavoured milk was exported overseas for the first time and is now stocked in outlets around the world as well as in small retailers and major supermarkets across the UK.

In addition, in 2012 Daioni Organic became the first British dairy company to gain organic certification in mainland China and in 2014 they opened their Hong Kong office to focus on Asia Pacific sales.  Today exports account for over 25 percent of the business turnover.

Around twenty local people are employed by the farming business which today is solely owned by the Harris family and continues to go from strength to strength.

“We pride ourselves on the quality of our organic milk, from home-grown cows that freely roam the grassy climbs of West Wales. Through the combination of happy cows, fertile soils and abundant grass, we have found the winning formula for delicious, flavoursome and quality milk,” said Mr Harris.

[caption id="attachment_6654" align="alignleft" width="300"] FUW meets with mobile network representatives Alex Jackman from EE, Paul Jones from O2, Graham Dunn from Vodafone and Simon Millar from Three, and Wales Office Minister Guto Bebb at joint Ofcom meeting.[/caption]

The lack of network coverage in rural Wales was high on the agenda today on the second day of the Royal Welsh Show (Tuesday, July 19) when the Farmers’ Union of Wales joined forces with Ofcom at its pavilion alongside the main ring.

The FUW and Ofcom held wide-ranging talks with representatives from the four mobile network operators - EE, O2, Vodafone and Three to provide the operators with an opportunity to update the invited audience on the progress being made to improve coverage in rural Wales.

Achieving widespread and reliable mobile coverage across Wales is challenging due to geographical, topographical and technological constraints. Data from Ofcom’s recent Connected Nation report shows that the percentage of premises with outdoor voice 2G and 3G services by all four operators in Wales has reached 93 percent at Coverage on A and B roads by all four operators is around 50 percent with  only one operator reaching 76 percent.

There remain areas in Wales with no mobile coverage from all four of the network operators as well as complete not-spots where there is no coverage at all. In geographic terms Wales has more voice not spots than the UK (13percent). A similar pattern is seen with data coverage. Wales has about the same level of data not-spots as the UK overall at 21 percent of the landmass not covered by a data service from any operator.

FUW deputy president Brian Thomas, who was delighted that the union was once again hosting this event at the Royal Welsh Show, said: “This is the sixth consecutive year at the show that the FUW has collaborated with Ofcom in providing a platform for discussion on the wide ranging communications issues facing rural Wales.

“A lot of work has been done over the past five years to improve services for mobile phone coverage and broadband access but with ever increasing demands on the farming community to carry out their business duties online more needs to be done to accelerate the process by which these twenty-first century services are readily and reliably available.

“The farming industry, in increasing numbers, is reliant on smart phone technology such as apps and it is second nature for the up-and-coming younger generation to use their phones in innovative ways – so if rural businesses in Wales want to remain at the forefront of progress then more needs to be done to support them.

“Further to this, online IACS, BCSM online and EID are just a few examples that farmers throughout Wales require reliable and fast internet connections for, which could be accessed through the appropriate mobile phone coverage if no broadband line is available.

“So as an Union we cannot stress the fact enough that more needs to be done to help rural communities and farm businesses by providing them with the essentials that every twenty-first century business needs.”

Ofcom is working with the mobile network operators and other stakeholders to improve mobile coverage across the UK. In 2013, Ofcom awarded a 4G licence to O2 which requires the company to extend indoor coverage to 98 percent of the UK population by 2017 at the latest.

This will mean coverage of more than 99 percent of the UK population when outdoors. Under the terms of the licence O2 is also obliged to ensure coverage to 95 percent of each of the nations, including Wales, within the same timescale. The other mobile operators have indicated that they intend to match O2’s 98 percent coverage obligation for 4G mobile. This will see a marked increase in mobile broadband coverage into many areas still unserved by 3G.

In addition, all four network operators have committed to invest significantly to improve rural coverage as part of a legally-binding agreement with the UK Government to extend a basic voice and text service over 2G to 90 percent of the UK’s landmass by 2017. This is not a Wales specific target but it will lead to a considerable reduction in the number of not spots.

Rhodri Williams, Ofcom’s Director in Wales, said that: “Improving mobile coverage in Wales is more challenging but no less important. Wherever Ofcom can meet those challenges we will. There are of course steps that can be taken by organisations in Wales to help facilitate the extension of mobile networks. One example is ensuring that planning regimes make it as easy as possible for the operators to build masts. This is a vital step in improving coverage.”

In addition, the FUW welcomed the announcement made by Wales Office minister Guto Bebb who told the Ofcom reception that there will be a summit this autumn to discuss poor signal coverage in Wales.

Mr Bebb told those attending that: "It is vital for small and medium-size companies and home-based enterprises to develop and grow their business in the rural Welsh economy.

"We now rightfully expect our mobile devices to work reliably wherever we are, be it at home, at work, in a car, or in the fields of Powys.

"That's why, building on the discussions at this event, we will convene a summit with Ofcom, the mobile network operators and other key stakeholders to formally consider the issues surrounding poor mobile connectivity in Wales."

[caption id="attachment_6650" align="alignleft" width="300"] Discussing #FarmingMatters with Waitrose representatives Heather Jenkins, Duncan Sinclair, Liz Reese and Stephen Lloyd were FUW Montgomeryshire County Chairman Mark William, FUW Senior Policy Officer Dr Hazel Wright, FUW Policy Officer Charlotte Priddy and FUW Vice President Eifion Huws.[/caption]

The Farmers’ Union of Wales has met up with retailer Waitrose at the Royal Welsh Show today (Monday 18 July), to discuss farming matters.

The positive discussion focused on Waitrose’s commitment to continue supporting UK producers once the UK has made an exit from the European Union.

“We were pleased to hear that Waitrose will continue to support Welsh and UK food producers, and we will be highlighting the importance of the family farm during meetings with other retailers throughout the show,” said FUW Senior Policy Officer, Dr Hazel Wright.

“Our family farms are the cornerstone of the wider rural economy.

“Farming matters to our economy, food security, supply chains and culture. We must ensure that politicians and those who work directly and indirectly with the industry are aware of this importance.”