[caption id="attachment_5677" align="aligncenter" width="300"] (l-r) Newly elected life member of the FUW Gareth Vaughan with FUW president Glyn Roberts.[/caption]

Former Farmers’ Union of Wales president Gareth Vaughan has been elected a life member of the union in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the union and Welsh agriculture over many years.

Mr Vaughan – who stood down in 2011 after eight years as FUW president – has previously received the union’s annual internal award for his services to the agricultural industry during the organisation’s annual general meeting in Aberystwyth.

He was elected North Wales member of the FUW’s national finance and organisation committee in 1998 before being elected vice president in 2000, deputy president in June 2002 and president in June 2003.

His term in office had seen two outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease, a devastating rise in bovine tuberculosis and a slump in farm incomes.

Announcing Mr Vaughan’s election at a meeting of the union’s grand council, FUW president Glyn Roberts said: “Gareth has been a towering presence within the FUW and has represented us with great dignity and forcefulness during private meetings with Government Ministers and officials and at public engagements throughout Wales during his time in office.”

The recommendation that he be made a life member was accepted unanimously by the union’s grand council.

“He is a true champion of farming and a true champion of the FUW,” added Mr Roberts.

Mr Vaughan runs a traditional beef and sheep unit at Cwmyrhiwdre Farm, Dolfor, near Newtown, in partnership with his wife of over 40 years, Audrey and his daughter Catherine and son-in-law Brian.

Born in Llanidloes in 1941, Mr Vaughan attended Manledd Primary and Llanidloes High Schools. He was chairman of the union’s Newtown branch in 1988-89, Montgomeryshire county chairman from 1991-93 and has also represented the county on the union’s grand council and land use and parliamentary committee, the British Wool Marketing Board, the Meat and Livestock Commission liaison committee and the Agricultural Dwellinghouse Committee.

Mr Vaughan was awarded the MBE in the 2011 New Year Honours List for services to agriculture and stated he was proud to accept the honour on behalf of all staff within the union who carry out such dedicated work.

Responding to the appointment, Mr Vaughan said: “I am very grateful for this acknowledgment and I consider it a great honour and privilege to be joining such an elite group.”

The Farmers’ Union of Wales has welcomed the news that the HMRC’s ‘time to pay’ agreement has been extended to lamb and dairy farmers, following a meeting with Aberconwy MP Guto Bebb.

FUW president Glyn Roberts, who alongside FUW milk and dairy produce committee chairman Dei Davies, met with Mr Bebb, had argued that there was an urgent need for HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to offer flexible Time to Pay agreements for dairy and lamb farmers.

Speaking after the union’s grand council meeting, which was held yesterday (Thursday September 10) in Aberystwyth, FUW president Glyn Roberts said:

“News that the HMRC are listening and have put measures in place to help our farmers meet their tax obligations without putting extra pressure on their cash-flow must be welcomed.”

Time to Pay arrangements make use of HMRC’s discretionary powers to allow businesses and individuals to pay their tax liabilities over an extended period of time. 

Each case is considered on its own merits with support being provided for viable, sustainable businesses and individuals who are experiencing genuine short term difficulties. 

“Milk prices are at their lowest for five years and have fallen 26 percent over the last 12 months, while lamb prices have also fallen dramatically having been at their lowest for almost 3 years during the months of May, June and July.

“The decision by some of the UK’s major retailers to flood the shelves with New Zealand lamb rather than honour the commitments made to British farmers after the  horsemeat scandal has been deplorable and had a severe impact on farm incomes.”

Mr Roberts said the cut in farmgate prices coupled with falls in CAP payments and likely delays in terms of payments being released amounted to a perfect storm for the industry.

“The ongoing import ban from Russia prohibiting food imports worth $9 billion from regions including the European Union coupled with changes to the exchange rate have all had direct and knock on effect on farm incomes, and news that the Russian embargo will be extended for at least another 5 months is not going to make life easier,” he said.

As such any concessions such as that announced by HMRC must be welcomed and we will continue to urge governments at all levels to do more to alleviate the problems facing farm businesses and the knock on impact on the wider rural economy.

Individuals and businesses who find they are unable to pay their liability in full and on time can contact HMRC’s Business Payment Support Service on 0300 200 3835.

[caption id="attachment_5666" align="aligncenter" width="300"] HCC met with FUW standing committee chairmen and county chairmen in Aberystwyth.[/caption]

HCC will devise an additional grassroots communications programme to help further convey to farmers the wide ranging and detailed marketing and industry development work it undertakes throughout Wales after meeting with producers at Aberystwyth on Tuesday.

The meeting at HCC’s offices, which was attended by FUW standing committee chairmen and county chairmen, focused on a way in which the two organisations can better work together for industry gain. They were brought up to date with HCC’s current campaigns and explored ways to enlist further farmer support for helping to promote market leading Welsh Lamb products.

Their ideas will be consolidated into an ambitious county-by-county campaign to allow farmer meetings direct access to latest information, initiatives and campaigns as HCC steps up its supply chain support in the coming months.

“Every farmer, indeed, every member of the red meat supply chain in Wales, has a part to play in the coming months if we are to maximise impacts for the marketing and development work that HCC does on their behalf,” said Dai Davies, HCC Chairman.

“There is an army of agricultural ambassadors out there and HCC has to tap into the availability and willingness of farmers at county level and our meeting yesterday came up with several really good ideas for spreading the good word.

“Our team will now consolidate these thoughts into an exciting new extension to our work at grassroots level which will give farmers instant access to a wide variety of HCC actions, information and key facts in an easily digestible form,” said Mr. Davies

FUW president Glyn Roberts said: “There are many things that influence the price we get paid for our lamb such as exchange rates, consumer behaviour and of course foreign imports. And whilst we don’t have the power to directly influence market prices or exchange rates, we can take active steps to support our industry by sourcing our food locally at all levels and exploring other markets for our prime product,” added Mr Roberts.

“It is important that we all work together if we want to see the industry progress and initiatives such as the Welsh Lamb roadshow, which we will be joining HCC for, are a great starting point.”

[caption id="attachment_5656" align="aligncenter" width="300"] (l-r) FUW Montgomeryshire county chairman Mark Williams, FUW Montgomeryshire county executive officer Emyr Wyn Davies and FUW president Glyn Roberts.[/caption]

The Farmers’ Union of Wales has appointed a former Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) Cymru farm conservation adviser as its new county executive officer for Montgomeryshire.

Mr Emyr Wyn Davies hails from the county and was educated at Ysgol Bro Ddyfi, Machynlleth. After leaving school he attended Coleg Llysfasi before subsequently attending Aberystwyth University.

Before commencing work with the FUW Emyr dealt with Agri-environment schemes, nutrient management plans and S.S.S.I (Sites of Special Scientific Interest) designations as part of his role with FWAG Cymru and covered the North and Mid Wales areas.

Having worked for FWAG Cymru when the Glastir scheme came into force enabled Emyr to gain a sound knowledge of the most recent subsidies applicable to Welsh farmers.

“I aim to build on the relationships I have already formed by applying myself in my new capacity as the county executive officer for Montgomeryshire. I relish a new challenge and look forward to taking the FUW into its next chapter,” said Mr Davies.

The Farmers’ Union of Wales is calling on farmers to be aware of the looming September 30 deadline for submitting an expression of interest application form for the Sustainable Production Grant (SPG).

FUW president Glyn Roberts, said: “It’s vitally important that farmers don’t miss out on this opportunity to access monies from the sustainable production grant as this is a chance for farmers to receive funds designed to aid them in investing in the future sustainability of their farms.  

“The FUW was extremely disappointed by the decision to transfer the maximum 15 percent  of pillar 1 monies into pillar 2 and we would therefore urge members to make sure they use every opportunity to claw some of this money back in a meaningful way,” added Mr Roberts.

The purpose of the scheme is to provide investment in order to improve performance and sustainability of agricultural holdings.  However, the union is concerned that many farmers remain unaware of the scheme and, as such, have not considered the impending deadline to submit an interest.

There are five key investment themes, that will be considered - animal health and welfare; crop storage; production housing and handling; renewable energy production and soil and crop management. The minimum grant threshold per enterprise for any individual investment project is £16,000. The maximum grant threshold per enterprise for any individual investment project is £400,000.

The application is a two stage process whereby successful expression of interest applicants will then be invited to submit full applications.  The window for full applications is expected to open on November 30, 2015, with May 31, 2016 being the deadline for submission.

[caption id="attachment_5640" align="aligncenter" width="300"] FUW delegates discuss food security issues with Secretary of State Stephen Crabb[/caption]

The importance of nurturing and supporting Welsh producers, and thereby protecting and improving domestic food security, was at the top of the agenda when Farmers’ Union of Wales delegates met the Rt Hon. Secretary of State for Wales Stephen Crabb at a recent farm visit.

The meeting, which was held at FUW deputy president Brian Thomas’s farm at Llwyncelyn Lan, Llanfyrnach, Pembrokeshire on Thursday September 3, heard members express the view that the government needed to develop a competitive food security strategy for the UK. 

FUW deputy president Brian Thomas, who farms 70 beef shorthorn cattle and 150 ewes on the holding with cereals also being grown, said: “I would firstly like to thank the secretary of state for Wales Stephen Crabb for meeting with us here on the farm.

“It has been a most productive meeting and FUW members were able to use this opportunity to highlight many of the financial difficulties facing them following the recent lamb and milk price crisis.

“As part of these discussions we talked about the importance of food security and how a food security strategy plan would give farmers confidence to develop their businesses, which in turn would support the development of rural areas. 

The subject of food procurement was highlighted as an important part of a food security strategy and the Union stressed that both farmers and consumers will be subject to volatile pricing if nothing is done to better support the home industry.  Whilst the union was pleased to hear that the MOD and NHS had increased the amount of British produce they source, the FUW made clear that more must be done.

“The use of quality PGI products must be included as part of the procurement criteria for sourcing food for schools and public bodies and we would ask local, national and devolved administrations to make a greater effort in this respect.

“Farmers are custodians of the countryside and they are responsible for the important task of producing food for the nation.  However, they are vulnerable to the market place,” added Mr Thomas.  

The delegation further discussed the EU’s role in managing global oversupply and FUW senior policy officer Dr Hazel Wright emphasised that it was imperative that the market place functions in a way which ensures a future for the UK agricultural industry and that this may mean some form of supply management.

The union further highlighted that much of the cheese manufactured in the UK went into supermarket own branded packets, yet it wasn’t clear from the labelling in which part of the UK the cheese had been produced, and yet this is something that many consumers have stated that they want. 

“We were pleased to hear that Mr Crabb acknowledged that labelling is still a problem and that discussions on clear labelling were continuing.

“It is important that government recognises the value of Welsh branded products.  Agriculture has hardly featured in the UK’s export strategy under past governments but we were pleased to hear that food production is now a major and vital part of the strategy and we stressed the importance of this continuing,” said Mr Thomas.