The announcement by deputy minister for farming and food Rebecca Evans AM that, BPS part-payments of approximately eighty percent will only be made to around 50 percent of farmers by the end of this week, has been described as disappointing but expected by the Farmers’ Union of Wales.

The minister, who spoke at the Hybu Cig Cymru - Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) Royal Welsh Winter Fair breakfast, further said that the vast majority of remaining part-payments will be made as early as possible in the New Year. The balance, or final 20 percent, payment will be made to farmers next April, although a minority of payments - probate cases for example - will take longer.

The FUW acknowledged that warnings have been made in the press repeatedly since June that a delay was likely for many and that part payments would be made.

Farmers will remember the extremely complicated process of completing the Basic Payment Forms coupled with more EU regulations of the requirement of sketch maps – struggles that FUW members of staff have experienced first-hand when helping members fill out their BPS forms.

It has inevitably led to a delay in the processing of forms which is extremely frustrating. As such most of the blame for delays lies with the new European Regulations – not the Welsh Government who have to abide by those regulations.

“Farmers will obviously be extremely frustrated, especially those who have seen a very difficult year and need this cash injection to the farm business now more than ever,” said FUW president Glyn Roberts.

“Nobody wants to have to rely so heavily on these payments but most of the money arriving in the farm account through the BPS will be going straight out to secondary and tertiary businesses.

“That’s why the FUW is calling on the Welsh Government in its manifesto, which will be launched later today to instigate detailed research into Wales’ rural and wider economy and agriculture’s place within it.

“Hundreds of businesses are solely reliant on Welsh agriculture. Look at all the traders and business’s exhibiting at the Fair today. Any delay in the payment of the single farm payment will have a direct impact on these business’s and their employees,” added Glyn Roberts.

However, rather than calling the RPW helpline, which could delay the processing of payments even further, the FUW urges members to respond to any outstanding Welsh Government queries or issues as soon as possible.

The Farmers’ Union of Wales is looking forward to what promises to be an exciting and busy Royal Welsh Winter Fair, with the launch of the FUW election manifesto, free farm business advice, a farm security advice service and the Christmas card design competition winner announcement all happening at the union’s stand.

Farmers looking for advice on issues such as BPS, renewable energy, pylons, tenancy rights, compulsory purchase and rural property issues should visit the FUW stand, which is located in Livestock Hall 1, to book an appointment for a free 40 minute slot with Agri-Advisor agricultural solicitors, Davis Meade Property Consultants and Land Agents and LHP accountants, auditors and business advisors.

“If things are tough or worrying our members, we don’t want them to bury their heads in the sand. I would urge any farmer worried about issues that could impact the farm to take advantage of the free appointments available at our Royal Welsh Winter Fair farm surgeries. Continuing uncertainty about the single farm payment, coupled with unpredictable meat and milk market prices, means that planning for the forthcoming year is essential and could help avoid future problems or penalties,” said FUW marketing and membership manager Caryl Gruffydd Roberts.

The FUW will also be launching its election manifesto at the stand on Monday of the show at 2pm.

“While some politicians and civil servants perceive that it is only farmers who, during the course of the Winter Fair, will be discussing low incomes, cash-flow problems and the possible date on which much-needed Basic Payments will be released, it couldn’t be further from the truth,” said FUW president Glyn Roberts ahead of the Winter Fair.

A walk around the showground and a few chats with some of those running the hundreds of trade stands should quickly set the record straight when it comes to the wider importance of agriculture to Wales’ economy as a whole, and in particular the central role it plays in our rural economies.

“Put simply, there is a great deal more than just farm incomes riding on the release of payments and it is the need for political recognition of this that will be the focus of the FUW’s 2016 election manifesto,” added Glyn Roberts.

On a domestic level, numerous rules currently being consulted upon and discussed in Cardiff Bay have the potential to reduce farm incomes, while at the other end of the spectrum our exit from the European Union would change agriculture beyond recognition – but not just agriculture: our rural economies and communities as a whole.

Glyn Roberts further added that despite this being apparent to many of us, the lack of data on the contribution of agriculture to Wales’ rural economies is lamentable, meaning politicians who advocate or accept unquestioningly changes which impact on agriculture do so without any real understanding of the wider impacts of such changes.

This is why the FUW’s manifesto calls for detailed work which will identify the full impacts of changes, so that those who advocate them know exactly what they are calling for, and contingency plans are drawn up for eventualities which may be beyond our control – such as our exit from the Common Market and the EU.

Monday November 30 at 12.30pm will also see the announcement of the winner of the FUW annual Christmas card design competition and the union is excited to be selling the cards in aid of British Heart Foundation Cymru, who will also be at the stand from 9.30am to 12 noon of both show days.

[caption id="attachment_5917" align="aligncenter" width="300"] (l-r) FUW president Glyn Roberts, FUW Montgomeryshire county chairman Mark Williams, FUW deputy county chairman Alwyn Vaughan, Brian Jones, FUW member Rob Corfield, Kay Swinburne MEP, FUW vice president Eifion Huws, FUW milk and dairy produce committee chairman Rhydian Owen and FUW senior policy officer Dr Hazel Wright.[/caption]

The Farmers’ Union of Wales has met with Conservative MEP Kay Swinburne to discuss the problems currently faced by Welsh dairy producers in a bid to send a strong message straight to Brussels. 

The meeting was held at FUW member Brian K Jones’s farm at Cefncoed Farms, Coed y Parc, Caersws, Newtown, who runs a 210 acre dairy farm with his wife Susan and son Andrew. 

The couple have recently had their milk supply contract cancelled and were keen to drive a strong message straight to Brussels about the dire situation many Welsh family run dairy farmers find themselves in.  

Brian, who sits on the FUW milk and dairy produce committee as the Montgomeryshire delegate, said: “The current situation faced by many Welsh dairy farmers is unacceptable and further action needs to be taken to address the problems facing family farms which are under real threat.” 

He also took the opportunity to highlight the difficulties facing farmers such as himself whose contracts had been cancelled by Meadow Foods. 

“Meadow Foods told the Farmers Weekly last week (November 20) that the company has ‘no plans to tear up contracts’, but that’s exactly what they have done to a number of us in this area.”

Brian said he and others in the area were written to in June. The letter stated. 

“…Meadow Foods has been reviewing all areas of our operation to identify where costs can be reduced and milk price improved. A key area of this review has been milk transport costs. We have identified a small number of producers who are located in outlying areas and therefore have a significant increased cost to collect; unfortunately your farm sits within this group. We have looked at various ways of reducing these costs to no success. Therefore, with regret, we have taken the decision to hereby serve you notice on your milk supply contract with Meadow Foods...” 

“Because I am a tenant farmer, losing this contract at a time when nobody is taking on new producers means that we are now looking at losing the roof over our heads.  

“It also means that my son, who works on the farm, will lose his job and his livelihood. If this continues there will be real problems for the industry.” 

FUW vice president Eifion Huws, said: “These are very uncertain times for the dairy industry and this year we have experienced market volatility like we haven’t seen in a long time.

“Not only are our farmers struggling with low milk prices, which are notably below the cost of production, they are now also being forced out of the industry because companies like Meadow Foods can’t find a way of collecting milk.” 

FUW milk and dairy produce committee chairman Rhydian Owen said: “We are thankful to Kay Swinburne for taking the time to hear the FUW’s concerns and the particular issues affecting tenanted family farms such as Coed y Parc.”

[caption id="attachment_5936" align="aligncenter" width="169"] Ten-year-old Nia Jones, a pupil at Ysgol Glannau Gwaun, Fishguard receives her prize from FUW deputy president Brian Thomas.[/caption]

Farmers’ Union of Wales president’s chosen charity – British Heart Foundation Cymru – is a winner thanks to a national children’s competition organised by the union to design a Christmas card with a farming theme which attracted hundreds of entries.

The winner of this year’s competition was ten-year-old Nia Jones, a pupil at Ysgol Glannau Gwaun, Fishguard, whose winning picture shows a red robin watching a farmer drive his tractor through a ploughed field.

Nia wins a £30 gift voucher for herself, a packet of the cards depicting her design and a £50 cheque for Ysgol Glannau Gwaun.

A selection of cards will form a colourful centrepiece to the FUW’s stand at the Royal Welsh Winter Fair in Builth Wells on November 30 and December 1, where the public will be able to purchase the winners’ cards in packs of 10 for £5 with the proceeds going to BHF Cymru.

The cards are also available to buy from FUW county offices throughout Wales or by mail order from the union’s head office in Aberystwyth.

FUW president Glyn Roberts said: “The competition was a roaring success, attracting hundreds of entries from across Wales.

“I would like to thank every single child who entered the competition and to tell them that without their participation the contest would not have been such a success. I would also like to express my gratitude to the staff at the schools up and down the country that assisted the FUW in the running of the competition.

“It gave children in urban and rural areas of Wales an opportunity to connect with the farming industry and express their thoughts in a creative and colourful way. I believe it is vital that we as farmers maintain a strong link with young people so that they understand the way that food is produced in this country.”

The Insurance arm of the Farmers’ Union of Wales is today reminding its customers to be aware of the cost of burst pipes, as the cold weather approaches.

The reminder follows the launch of the ‘Wrap Up Wales’ campaign by D?r Cymru Welsh Water, who say that unprotected water pipes, which could burst after freezing weather conditions , could cost thousands of pounds to repair.

D?r Cymru Welsh Water have said that the problem is usually linked to pipes that are exposed to very low temperatures, such as those in garages, sheds and other outhouses and can of course be found aplenty on farms.

“Burst pipes can be very expensive to fix, not just on farm but also in the home and we urge our customers to follow the advice provided by D?r Cymru Welsh Water to ensure that they don’t have to go through the hassle of dealing with burst pipes,” said FUW managing director Mark Roberts.

According to the Association of British Insurers (ABI), severe cold weather experienced during the winter of 2010 saw around 3,500 calls a day being made to insurers to report frozen pipes at its peak. An average repair cost for damage caused by bursts pipes can be up to £7,000.

FUW Insurance and D?r Cymru Welsh Water would advise the following to prevent pipes from freezing:
• Make sure you know the location of your stop tap so you can reach it quickly in an emergency (TIP: It's often under the kitchen sink).
• Make sure any exposed pipes are wrapped or lagged.
• Keep an eye out for frozen pipes, bursts or leaks.
• Fix dripping taps – a gentle trickle of water can freeze and completely block the pipe

In the event of pipes freezing the advice issued is:

• Find your internal stop tap and turn it off.
• Turn on nearby cold taps, to allow the water to escape when it thaws.
• Don't turn hot taps on until the central heating is switched off.
• Move things that might be damaged if the pipe bursts when the water thaws.
• Apply a hot water bottle or hot wet towel to a frozen pipe.
• If you notice a leak after thawing, turn off the internal stop tap and call a plumber.
• If you are unsure of anything at any time call a plumber who is registered with the WaterSafe scheme at www.watersafe.org.uk

D?r Cymru Welsh Water are asking customer to take the Wrap Up Wales test at www.WrapUpWales.com and can get themselves a free lagging kit.

Advice on insulating water pipes can be seen on the Welsh Water website http://www.dwrcymru.com/en/My-Water/Prepare-your-home-for-winter.aspx

[caption id="attachment_5897" align="aligncenter" width="300"] FUW Denbigh chairman John Roberts and FUW Denbigh president Iwan Jones with HCC's Industry and Market Information Officer John Richards, Owain Bebb a’i gwmni accountant Rhys Harris, Eifion Bibby of Davis Meade and Director of Padog Farms Ltd Dafydd Wynne Finch.[/caption]

Denbighshire members of the Farmers’ Union of Wales came together at a recent annual general meeting to discuss EU membership, young entrants and the Finance Act 2015.

The event, which was held at the Brookhouse Mill on Monday November 9, welcomed Director of Padog Farms Ltd Dafydd Wynne Finch, Owain Bebb a’i gwmni accountant Rhys Harris, Eifion Bibby of Davis Meade and HCC's Industry and Market Information Officer John Richards as their guest speakers.

“Despite the poor weather many of our members attended and held interesting and varied discussion. It was nice to hear plenty of questions being asked by members, which ranged from are we better in or out of EU to a question about how do we get young farmers back into the industry,” said FUW Denbigh and Flintshire county executive officer Mari Dafydd Jones.

EU membership is a topic the FUW is quite clear on, having long recognised the value of remaining a part of one of the largest common markets and trading blocks in the world, and the irreparable damage caused to farm and food businesses as a result of our exclusion from the EU market during the BSE and Foot and Mouth disease crises stand as testament to the dangers of being locked out of Europe.

“We know that there are plenty of young enthusiastic people who wish to enter the industry and we also know that there are those looking at the future of their farms who don’t necessarily want to relinquish everything, so it was good to discuss succession with our members in an open format,” she added.

Mr Finch focused his presentation on how important discussion groups are in developing the industry through upskilling people and sharing information and he also discussed the topic of succession. Lamb prices and HCC marketing strategies and Europe were discussed by John Richards; Mr Harris gave a presentation on the Finance Act 2015 and discussed 10 main points including changes to capital allowances and averaging profits and Mr Bibby talked about buying and renting land, the Renting Homes (Wales) bill and the trading of entitlements.

“I would like to thank the speakers and members for attending a very successful evening and hope they all enjoyed the evening as much as I did. It was nice to see new members attending and we hope to see them again soon,” added Mari.