[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.”

The Farmers’ Union of Wales is calling on politicians to ‘do a 360’ at the Royal Welsh Show in order to see the importance of agriculture to the wider economy.

“If politicians and visitors to the show stop and turn around 360 degrees they will see a vast array of different businesses which are all reliant on agriculture, some employing just one or two, some employing thousands,” said FUW President Glyn Roberts.

“The show is a microcosm of our wider rural community and economy, and for every business here there are thousands more across Wales and the UK which are directly and indirectly reliant on agriculture.”

Welsh Farm Business Survey figures show that, despite having average incomes which fall well below that of the average UK household, farms can typically contribute between £100,000 and £250,000 to the local and wider economy each year.

“Let’s not forget that circa 60,000 people are employed on farm holdings in Wales, in addition to the thousands employed in businesses which are reliant on agriculture such as contractors, feed and machinery merchants, mechanics etc,” said Mr Roberts.

A 2001 Welsh Assembly Government report classed around two out of every five rural businesses as being involved in the farming industry, while the Central Science Laboratories has estimated that agriculture supports over 10 percent of Wales’ full time employees.

“Farming is the backbone of rural areas and is the linchpin of rural communities - so this is not just about farming; it is about the wider recognition that farming matters to our entire economy, how money circulates, and how communities are sustained and our culture continues to thrive.

“This needs to be recognised in the forthcoming discussions and negotiations regarding Brexit, while we also need a post Brexit agricultural policy which protects family farms, rural economies and the environment, while also enhancing food security,” he added.

[caption id="attachment_6645" align="alignleft" width="300"] Discussing future lamb export markets are FUW Vice President Richard Vaughan, Stan Phillips USDA and FUW F&O member Brian Bowen[/caption]

The Farmers’ Union of Wales has met with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to discuss the future of the Welsh agricultural industry post Brexit.

Union representatives met with USDA representatives Stan Phillips, Counselor for Agricultural Affairs and Steve Knight, Agricultural Specialist, on the first day of the Royal Welsh Show (Monday 18 July).

“We welcomed the opportunity to provide an insight into Wales’ current political, economic and social situation and share information about our farming sector with the US Department of Agriculture here at the Royal Welsh Show,” said FUW Vice President Richard Vaughan following the meeting.

“Sharing experiences and information with our US colleagues is vital in the process of establishing an export market for our Welsh Lamb and Beef but also for us to learn about how they legislate their home agricultural industry,” he added.

“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,” said Mr Vaughan .

“The FUW was pleased to hear that significant progress has been made on Welsh lambs exports into the US and we will be interested to see how this market develops in the future”, added Mr Vaughan.

The Farmers’ Union of Wales has today launched their agricultural post box at the Royal Welsh Show (Monday, July 18) and is encouraging visitors throughout the show week to post their concerns, ideas and comments about the way forward for agriculture following the EU referendum result.

The FUW has made it clear since the referendum result was made public that the exit strategy from the European Union must be carefully planned and should under no circumstances be rushed.

In line with public opinion, the family farm is recognised as the powerhouse of our rural economies and the most appropriate source of UK agricultural produce and therefore it is critical to the rural economy as a whole that #FarmingMatters are at the top of the priority list of those who are shaping the future post-Brexit.

FUW President Glyn Roberts said: “It is the future that matters. We must give it 100 percent and create the best outcome for the whole of Wales. Every crisis is an opportunity to find positive solutions and we must find those positive solutions.

“That is why we are calling on our members, farmers and all those second and third sector businesses that are directly or indirectly involved with agriculture to make their voices heard and help us in shaping the future for a strong, prosperous, rural economy post-Brexit.

“I would ask all those who visit the show this week to stop by our pavilion and fill in one of our comment cards and post them in the grass-roots ballot box. We will be revealing the result of the suggestions, concerns and ideas on Thursday (July 21) during our ‘Developing the right solution for agriculture in Wales’ seminar at 11am, to which I would like to invite you all.”

The message from the FUW is clear - Rural Wales needs to be recognised for the part that it can play in building a vibrant Wales and we aim to lead that argument to ensure that everyone realises that #FarmingMatters, especially in a world post-Brexit.

Being connected to the internet and having access to 21st century creature comforts like Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat is something many people can’t live without anymore.

The Farmers’ Union of Wales understands how important it is to be connected in this day and age and has put its money where its mouth is by sponsoring the free WIFI at the Royal Welsh Show 2016.

“The range of services and opportunities which are exclusively available through the internet has grown significantly over the past decade, and access to broadband is now regarded as a necessity by the majority of UK businesses and households, but many of those living in rural areas are still without such essential 21st century essentials,” said FUW Deputy President Brian Thomas.

He added that the FUW is fully supportive of moves which encourage the use of online services where they are available and practical in order to reduce administrative burdens and minimise the risk of errors but that more needs to be done to facilitate these options - and key to this is of course access.

Brian Thomas added that: “The FUW has demonstrated its support for online services in terms of our support for RPW Online and the instrumental role we have played in helping our members submit their SAF applications online from the outset.

“However, with access to broadband still well below the national average in many of our rural areas, and farm businesses representing the highest proportion of those with no broadband access, it is essential that the limitations of online services and communications are recognised, and that rural access to broadband is increased.”

The FUW maintains that, given the rate at which the rules relating to agriculture change, and the penalties associated with breaching those rules, it is essential that such changes are communicated to the industry in an accessible format.

Aside from legislative requirements, farms without broadband are also placed at a significant commercial disadvantage in terms of, for example being unable to receive reports from slaughterhouses, being unable to make full use of farm and business software, not having access to online movement records and animal histories, not having access to online resources relevant to animal health, such as that relating to TB and being unable to access information and guidance relevant to their businesses.

For those who have had to diversify into non agricultural businesses, there are also major commercial disadvantages for farms which do not have broadband access, including being unable to properly market products via the internet, being unable to process orders submitted via the internet and tourism, function and events organisation industries are also at a disadvantage, where customers and clients expect and demand broadband access.

“In addition, those who are letting self-catering cottages are placed at a significant disadvantage, as WIFI availability is now required to successfully market their businesses.

“Children are unable to access broadband for their school and college work and anyone who wishes to work from home or explore diversification enterprises, are finding themselves in unfavourable circumstances.

“A lot of work has been done over the past four years to improve services for broadband access and a lot of money has been invested by Welsh Government to improve the ‘superfast’ service – however that service is still not reaching all farmers and rural businesses across Wales,” said Brian Thomas.

The FUW affirms that access to broadband and decent mobile phone coverage is critical in helping Wales become the rural economic powerhouse it needs to be in a world post Brexit and is looking forward continuing discussions with key players and decision makers throughout the course of the Royal Welsh Show week.

The Farmers’ Union of Wales has called on the Welsh Government to take the lead in initiating plans for more sustainable and supportive public procurement policies ahead of Brexit.

Speaking at the FUW press conference on Sunday July 17, Union President Glyn Roberts said: “It is within the gift of both the Welsh and UK Government to start planning for more sustainable and supportive public procurement policies - an issue I have already raised with both the First Minister Carwyn Jones and the former Prime Minister David Cameron.

“Hiding behind state-aid rules is no longer an option: our schools, hospitals, armed forces and all other public services deserve access to the top quality produce that we grow here in Wales, and our farmers and rural economies deserve recognition for what they produce.

“I am therefore calling today for immediate action to initiate draft legislation which will mandate 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 innumerable benefits to our nations.”

Glyn Roberts added that in these current times of austerity, there are real concerns that our Governments do not have the capacity to deal with the day-to-day work, let alone the planning needed for Brexit, but in the FUW’s mind undertaking such groundwork is not an option - it is a necessity.

“And this is where The Farmers’ Union of Wales can play such an important role; we know and understand the challenges faced by family farms in Wales. We understand that they have a huge part to play in the wider rural economy and we know that #FarmingMatters,” stressed the Union President.

Glyn Roberts strongly pointed out that the reason #FarmingMatters was because it matters to our food security, matters to our supply chain, matters to our children and also matters to our culture.

He added that: “We must ensure that everyone in a position of Government, and opposition influence is aware of this importance. This week, next week and always -  our commitment is to promote the importance of #FarmingMatters to our economy.”