[caption id="attachment_6448" align="alignleft" width="300"] Accepting the Owen Slaymaker Award on behalf of the Caernarfon branch was Administrative Assistant Delyth Edwards.[/caption]

The Farmers’ Union of Wales’ Caernarfonshire County Executive Officer Gwynedd Watkin and his office team have retained the Union’s Owen Slaymaker Award, given annually to the county branch that has best promoted the interests of members and the FUW.

Mr Slaymaker was the FUW’s Carmarthenshire County Secretary from 1970-90 and County Executive Officer from 1990-91.

The award in his memory recognises the County Executive Officer who uses every opportunity to effectively raise the Union’s profile through organised events, functions and meetings.

Speaking about the most recent achievements, FUW President Glyn Roberts said: “Gwynedd Watkin and the Caernarfon office staff have organised 6 farm based farmhouse breakfasts in the county raising over £7,300 for charity.

“Approximately £4,500 was donated to the President’s charity - British Heart Foundation Cymru - with the balance being donated to local charities.

“Indeed it was this county which originally launched these hugely successful farm based breakfasts.

“I congratulate Gwynedd and his team on all his achievements and effort - the award is well deserved.”

The County also attended Dyffryn Ogwen Show, Llanrwst Show, Nefyn Show, Caernarfon Show, also attending the Ras ‘Redig.

[caption id="attachment_6449" align="alignleft" width="300"] FUW Carmarthenshire Administrative Assistant Joyce Owens is accepting the award for most new members on behalf of the county office.[/caption]

In addition the FUW Caernarfon branch were present at Gwledd Conwy Feast and for the first time during 2015 attended Gwyl Fwyd Caernarfon.

The county further held an Annual Dinner at Nefyn and, at their AGM, arranged a panel of speakers comprising of Alan Jones. Chief Executive of Hufenfa De Arfon, Dai Davies, Chairman of Hybu Cig Cymru and Bryn Edmunds of HSBC Bank.

Recognition on efforts made to recruit new members was extended to FUW Carmarthenshire County Executive Officer Mr David Waters and his team.

“This award is extremely important as it is awarded to the County which has attracted the most number of new members during the calendar year 2015.

“I am delighted to advise Council that we continue to attract a good number of new members and this, clearly, is extremely important for our future,” said FUW President Glyn Roberts.

[caption id="attachment_6445" align="alignleft" width="300"] Presenting the Business Development award to Account Executive Mrs Gwen Evans was FUW Insurance Services Ltd, Business Development Manager, Mr David Lush.[/caption]

FUW Insurance Services Ltd. staff have been recognised for their achievements with an array of awards at the Farmers’ Union of Wales annual general meeting.

FUW Insurance Services Ltd. awarded Account Executive Mrs Gwen Evans with the Business Development award, recognising an extremely successful year with a significant growth in her portfolio.

Mrs Evans is based at the FUW Insurance Services Ltd. office at Abergavenny, Gwent.

Presenting the award was FUW Insurance Services Ltd, Business Development Manager, Mr David Lush, who said: “Gwen has a constant and conscientious focus on gaining new business and has enjoyed great success through her professionalism and very high level of service to the customer.

“She has gained a very considerable number and value of new clients and policies and she ended the year with the highest level of new business written of all Account Executives in Wales.”

The award for Best Managed Portfolio was awarded to Account Executive Mr John Price, who is based at the Carmarthen Office.

“John has grown his portfolio significantly through both organic growth and new business. His portfolio is extremely well run in all respects and he delivers excellent customer service and is always willing to share his experience with colleagues,” said FUW Insurance Services Ltd. Managing Director Mark Roberts.

John, who was unable to accept the award in person, said: “This is very much a team effort from Carmarthen staff and I wish to add a particular thank you to Becci Heath, Angela Williams and Sam Evans for their continued support.”

The award was accepted on John’s behalf by FUW Insurance Services Ltd, Business Development Manager, Mr David Lush.

[caption id="attachment_6440" align="alignleft" width="200"] FUW President Glyn Roberts.[/caption]

Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) President Glyn Roberts has repeated warnings made two years ago by former FUW President Emyr Jones, that politicians and officials have been sleepwalking towards the breakup of the European Union, by failing to recognise the genuine concerns of the electorate.

“I make no apology for having repeatedly highlighted the Union’s policy that we should remain within the EU,” said Glyn Roberts, stating that Welsh agriculture could only be better off outside the EU if every mainstream UK party made a complete U-turn on key agricultural policies published over the past twenty years.

“However, we are anything but EUrophiles or apologists for the EU and all its flaws and failings. Quite the contrary, our criticisms have been consistent,” he said.

Glyn Roberts reminded those present that his predecessor, former FUW President Emyr Jones, had warned in 2014 that the European Commission, EU politicians and civil servants were sleepwalking towards the breakup of the European Union, by failing to listen to the concerns of citizens in the UK and across Europe.

“If the electorate next week votes to remain in the EU, it should certainly not be seen as a seal of approval for either the current EU model or its direction of travel. Quite the opposite. We must see rapid changes which move us away from the precipice.

“Put simply, the vast and slow-moving machine which is the EU must find a reverse gear, which takes us back to something which is acceptable to a far greater proportion of its population.”

Glyn Roberts said that if the UK did vote to leave the EU, there should be a reversal of UK parties’ long-standing support for policies, which would decimate Welsh agriculture and leave rural areas facing levels of poverty not seen since the 1930s.

“Whichever way the vote goes next week, we remain dedicated to fighting for the interests of not only our members but our entire rural economy, our environment, and the very heart of Wales’ culture,” he added.

[caption id="attachment_6436" align="alignleft" width="300"] (L-R) Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales Professor Christianne Glossop, FUW Deputy President Brian Thomas, Environment and Rural Affairs Cabinet Secretary Lesley Griffiths and FUW President Glyn Roberts.[/caption]

The Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) has urged the new Welsh Government to work with the farming industry to address the issue of TB in wildlife.
Speaking during the FUW’s Annual General Meeting, FUW President Glyn Roberts told members that an average of 36 cattle were culled every working day due to TB, representing an increase of 37 percent on the previous 12 month period, and an eight hundred percent rise since 1996.

“The pattern in the north Pembrokeshire Intensive Action Area, where millions have been spent on vaccinating badgers over the past four years, is no different”,Glyn Roberts told those present, referring to the latest scientific report into the impact of badger vaccination in the area, which found there was no improvement in TB rates in the area despite more than £3.7 million having been spent on vaccinating 5,192 badgers in the area since 2011.

“We therefore look to this new government to finally grasp the nettle, and accept the basic facts which our Chief Vet has made clear to successive governments,” he said.

Glyn Roberts also highlighted the experience of other countries where cattle TB controls, which are less stringent than those applied in Wales, quickly eradicate the disease and restore TB-free status, citing the example of Germany. The badger population here is proactively managed, and numbers are reduced by around 65,000 a year.

“Their badger population [in Germany] is not endangered by any stretch of the imagination - and nor is it infected with TB.”

Glyn Roberts said such patterns are repeated around the world, and that scientific evidence gathered from across the EU and the globe showed that TB cannot be eradicated while the epidemic in wildlife is ignored.

“This truth, and the distressing figures in terms of the numbers of cattle being culled every day, is something we will be highlighting over the coming months, and we hope Welsh Government and those from across the political spectrum will work with us in helping educate the public about the severity of the situation, just as we have done in the past,” he added.

[caption id="attachment_6423" align="alignleft" width="300"] Putting the spotlight on the rural economy - We’re all in it together[/caption]

How many businesses are involved in the running of a farm and how many people are directly and indirectly employed by the agricultural sector? How reliant is the rural community really on farming? Those were the questions the Farmers’ Union of Wales asked recently.

We often think about the obvious options, such as feed merchants, sales and auctioneers businesses, farm contractors etc. but how much does just one farm really contribute?

To try and answer these questions Mid Wales farmers John Yeomans, his wife Sarah and son Joe, recently hosted an event that put the spotlight on the importance of agriculture in the rural economy, at their farm Llwyn y Brain, Adfa, near Newtown.

A survey of the businesses that the Yeomans family deal with revealed 2,347 jobs at local and Welsh level and also 225,980 at a wider national level were dependent on the survival of those businesses.

On the farm, the Yeomans family run a herd of 73 cows consisting of pedigree Limousin, Limousin x, Belgian Blue x, and 15 homebred replacement heifers (closed herd).

They further keep 495 ewes which are mainly Beulah and 160 Beulah ewe lambs and the flock has been closed since 1981.

The couple sell Beulah draft ewes and some yearlings, as well as Welsh Mule ewe lambs for breeding and sell finished lambs on a deadweight basis.

The 232 acres of owned farmland sit between 750 feet to 1420 above sea level, with 100 acres (34.8ha) of lower land and 132 acres (53.4ha) of largely improved hill land.  

A further 53 acres of additional land is rented.

John, who was keen to explore the wider economic impact his business has on the wider rural economy, said: "Following the downturn in agriculture over recent times and across almost all sectors, I wanted to help highlight the importance of a thriving agricultural sector on the economy - both locally and much further afield.

"Farmers are an exceptional conduit for money, so if their businesses are thriving they reinvest and this, in turn, brings wealth and good fortune to others.

"The difficult times we are facing are clearly already impacting on our ancillary and support industries and businesses.  

"With this in mind, we were pleased to put the spotlight on all the businesses - both local and further afield - that have some stake in our survival.  Our relationship with these businesses is symbiotic and crucial to both our successes.” 

[caption id="attachment_6421" align="alignright" width="300"] John Yeomans and his wife Sarah[/caption]

The event was attended by an array of local businesses and representatives such as Agri-Advisor, Agrimin, Bibby’s, Alpha Plumbers, FUW Insurance Services Ltd., E W Bumford & Co, RVW Pugh Ltd, I Jerman, Binding Tyre Services, Countrywide, Westflight, Morris Marshall and Poole, British Wool Marketing Board, Wynnstay, R G and G R Francis, McCartneys, OPICO, Sainsbury’s, Genus, KiwiKit, Dunbia, E George & Son, Dow AgroSciences, Trefaldwyn Vets, Zoetis, Shearwell Data and HSBC, who play a role in John and Sarah’s daily business routine.

Mr Yeomans said: "I must thank the businesses who came to support the event and those that responded to our short survey for the valuable contribution they make to our business and the wider rural economy.

“Supermarkets and slaughterhouses are just as important in our business as our local garage.

"Over 22 per cent of the employment in Wales is linked to farming or food in some way, so it is worth noting the important role we all play in keeping our economic powerhouse going.

"Individually we may not be making a fortune for our solicitor, bank, garage or anything else. But together we are an important force.

"We hope days like this will help to get the message across about the connection between British food and the many businesses connected to it, why it is worth supporting your local farmer and how much of a difference each individual can make in terms of giving back to the local economy.”

City Electrical Factors (CEF) are one of the businesses the Yeomans family trade with.  C.E.F. are a national Electrical Wholesaler supplying businesses the length and breadth of the UK.  

The Newtown and Welshpool branches sit in the heart of Mid-Wales and as such are two of the most rural branches in the C.E.F. network.

Across these two branches the company employs 11 staff, and nationally they employ about 2750 members of staff.

Darryl Owen, manager of the two branches, said: “I feel it’s very important to employ local people to serve local people. Many of my staff have strong links to the local agricultural and Farming community. For us, in such a rural area, any downturn in agriculture has a serious knock on effect to our business and turnover in Newtown and Welshpool.

“It is not just the direct effect from farming businesses but indirectly through the Electrical Contractors who serve this market sector. We service a very wide and diverse market sector which can all be affected by any downturn in the Farming community.

“Many small industries in Mid-Wales are reliant on a strong agricultural customer base. If these small business begin to struggle they stop spending and that’s a big issue for us.

“The on-going success of C.E.F. in Mid-Wales is undoubtedly linked to the success of our agricultural community. Any effort  or campaign that will highlight the importance of a healthy rural economy will definitely have my support."

RVW Pugh Ltd, an agricultural machinery dealership that specialise in the sales and aftersales of tractors and farm machinery to the agricultural  industry, have their head office in Mellington, Mid Wales.

They have 2 further depots in Holmes Chapel, Cheshire and Market Drayton, Shropshire.

The company employs 54 employees over the 3 depots, with 35 of them employed at the head office in Mellington.

Robert Pugh, Managing Director, said: “Agriculture is the backbone of our business, more than 95% of our customers are farmers/contractors. We are obviously feeling the knock on effect of farmers struggling with commodity and produce prices, along with late receipt of single farm payments… at the moment we are owed £1.5m from creditors which fall outside of our 30 day credit terms.

“This obviously puts pressure on our business and holds up cash flow which we could use to further improve and invest in our business during these difficult times.”

Glyn Roberts, FUW President, who attended the event, said : “All the businesses that make the wheel of our rural economy go round have an important role to play in our daily lives and indeed how we all survive and make a living.

“We know that a lot of second and third sector businesses are already struggling as a result of the knock on impact of low agricultural incomes and farmgate prices, and the potential wider impact if there was to be a further downturn in farm incomes could be catastrophic.

“We must remember that agriculture is the powerhouse of the rural economy, generates billions of pounds which benefit a host of industries including many not directly associated with agriculture -  something that is clear to see here - today-.

“The impact of the most recent recession on our economy as a whole has been severe, but there can be no doubt that in rural Britain and many of our urban areas the impact has been buffered by the core role agriculture has played in generating income for communities the length and breadth of the UK.

“With this in mind -  we as the Farmers’ Union of Wales - will continue to represent and fight for those who make a living off the land and through that, support those second and third sector industries- as we have done since 1955 - in Cardiff, London and Brussels.”

[caption id="attachment_6422" align="alignleft" width="300"] FUW Montgomeryshire County Chairman Mark Williams, John Yeomans and his wife Sarah, FUW Montgomeryshire County Executive Officer Emyr Wyn Davies.[/caption]

FUW Montgomeryshire County Chairman, Mark Williams, added: "We were keen to explore in more detail how our rural economic powerhouse is sustained by individual farm businesses.

"You’ve got your farm and the people who might be employed on it, whether that is family or external contractors, but it is also about the feed merchants, contractors, machinery dealers, local garages, supermarkets, farm shops, auctioneers, banks and solicitors– all of the businesses that are involved either in a direct or indirect capacity.

"The message going back to consumers across the UK has to be ‘Support your local farmer - Support a thriving rural economy’.”

[caption id="attachment_6418" align="alignleft" width="300"] They’re the milky kids - FUW Vice President Eifion Huws with Caergeiliog Foundation School pupils[/caption]

The Anglesey branch of the Farmers’ Union of Wales promoted the benefits of drinking milk to local school children, explaining also where milk comes from.

Visiting the school on Friday, May 27, ahead of the school holidays, FUW Vice President Eifion Huws explained to a group of 60 children how milk arrives on supermarket shelves and shops and also explained the running of a family farm and the work involved.

The children listened carefully to Eifion’s stories and laughed when they heard that he names his cows after his children and other family members - Anne, Eirian, Doris, Helen, Kitty, Ceinwen and Heddwen to name a few.

“It's very important that we as an industry go to schools to promote agriculture and educate the next generation about how their food is produced.

“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.

“Indeed, the exclusion of dairy products from the ‘sugar tax’ demonstrates the role such products play in a healthy diet.”

Speaking on World Milk Day (June 1), FUW Anglesey County Executive Heidi Williams, said: “It was a lovely afternoon at Caergeiliog Foundation School as we were able to convey to the children how milk was actually produced and how important it was in one’s diet.

“We also showed them the different products produced by milk such as yoghurts, custard, cheese and naturally, big smiles beamed when we showed the chocolate packet.”

At the end of the talk, the children were given the opportunity to ask questions and Mr Huws was inundated with children wanting to know about farming life.