A new and fresher-looking union website was launched today (Tuesday December 2) by the Farmers' Union of Wales.

The site, which features improved search facilities and a new comprehensive archive for press releases and policy documents, has been redeveloped to make it more user-friendly.

"We are very happy to launch this re-vamped site during the 25th Royal Welsh Winter Fair and hope our members will find it easier to use,” said FUW president Emyr Jones.

“A cleaner look and more user-friendly structure, as well as the option to view the site through the medium of Welsh, has been achieved by working with a dedicated team over the past few years and we thank all of our staff who have helped in getting this new site online.

"The links to all of our social media channels and the Y Tir/Welsh Farmer website are clearly visible and we hope that users will find it easier to contact us through the relevant contact forms on each section of the website.

"A members only area will be added shortly as well and we look forward to working with Sproutee, who have been working so hard on this new site, to get this section up and running."

Deputy farming and food minister Rebecca Evans’s announcement this morning (Monday December 1) that the recommendations of the independent review into Farming Connect, commissioned by Welsh Government earlier this year, had been accepted in full was welcomed by the Farmers’ Union of Wales.

The review, undertaken by Gareth Williams, makes a number of clear and helpful recommendations on what the next Farming Connect programme should include and considers the proposed approach to delivering knowledge transfer, advice and innovation under the next Rural Development Programme (RDP).

The union’s land use and parliamentary committee chairman Gavin Williams said: “Having contributed to the review we are extremely pleased that many of our ideas are reflected in the report.

“Ensuring closer relationships between industry and Welsh Government to deliver the RDP programme is welcomed, as is a greater emphasis on encouraging farmers to undertake their own business planning and longer term decision making.

“We also welcome the greater flexibility within the programme which will allow it to adapt to changing industry needs and the retention of the current intervention rates for knowledge transfer, One-to-One advice and training will help drive the industry forward.

“We look forward to working with Welsh Government to ensure that the next Farming Connect programme fully reflects industry needs.”

The Farmers’ Union of Wales welcomed today’s announcement (Monday December 1) by deputy farming and food minister Rebecca Evans that 90% of Single Payments have been made on the first day of the payment window - but highlighted the impact of a 20%-plus fall in payment values.

Speaking at the Royal Welsh Winter Fair, FUW president Emyr Jones said: “Once again the Welsh Government has hit a high payment target and we are grateful to all the staff who have worked hard to ensure money can be released on the first day of the payment window.

“However, the combined impact of a lower Pillar 1 budget, 15% Pillar transfer and the lower sterling exchange rate means a fall in farm payments of more than 20% compared with last year.”

Recently-released farm business income figures for the 2013-14 financial year showed a welcome 10% rise in overall farm incomes. However, incomes for the same period were down by 11%, to £19,200, on cattle and sheep farms.

“Farm incomes for the current 2014-15 financial period are likely to be considerably lower again due to the fall in lamb, beef and milk prices, so the 20% plus fall in single payment receipts will be harshly felt,” said Mr Jones.

“With the rural economy being so reliant on agriculture, there is likely to be a significant knock-on effect for the wider community.

“However, the cuts to the budget, pillar transfer and sterling exchange rate are beyond our control, and the FUW therefore continues to emphasise that rural development funds be used in a meaningful way to build a more profitable industry.”

[caption id="attachment_3692" align="aligncenter" width="640"] WALTER ROWLANDS MEMORIAL AWARD: Richard Walker (right) presents the certificate to Luke Morgan[/caption]

THE latest winner of the Farmers' Union of Wales Glamorganshire county branch's Walter Rowlands memorial award is Luke Morgan of Groes Farm, Southerndown, currently studying agricultural mechanisation at Wiltshire College.

Luke, who has already received a merit on the agricultural course at Bridgend College, has been a member of Wick YFC for six years.

He said he will use the bursary towards funding additional courses such as welding and attending study tours to demonstration farms, workshops and factories.

FUW Glamorganshire county chairman Richard Walker presented the award and said Luke is a well deserving recipient. "We wish him all the very best with his studies and future plans.

“It is very encouraging to see such enthusiasm from the younger generation towards the agricultural industry and the union is keen to continue supporting promising young farmers through this award.”

The award, in memory of FUW county secretary Walter G. Rowlands, who died in service in 1986, is made to an agricultural student in Glamorganshire after careful consideration by the union’s county executive committee.

[caption id="attachment_3689" align="aligncenter" width="640"] CHEQUE PRESENTATION: Lee Pritchard hands the £1,041 cheque to Catrin Hall (centre) as Lorraine Howells proudly looks on.[/caption]

A CHEQUE for just over £1,000 from the proceeds of a wooden horse race night on Farmers' Union of Wales Glamorganshire county member Lorraine Howells' Rhymney farm has been presented to Wales Air Ambulance.

The £1,041 cheque was handed to Wales Air Ambulance fund-raising coordinator Catrin Hall by Lee Pritchard who works for Miss Howells at Cwm Carno Farm and carried out much of the organisation for the race night.

He felt the air ambulance was an essential service for providing lifesaving treatment to injured people in rural areas, such as farmers.

Catrin thanked the FUW for the kind donation and explained that the amount donated was the cost of one helicopter trip which, more than likely, will save someone’s life.

FUW Glamorganshire county executive officer Rachel Saunders said the presentation took place when members enjoyed a quiz hosted by Miss Howells which also raised over £200 for the union's T? Hafan and T? Gobaith children's hospices charity fund.

THE Farmers’ Union of Wales has written to newly-appointed EC Agricultural Commissioner Phil Hogan asking for rules which will exclude large tracts of land with trees on from eligibility under the new Basic Payment Scheme.

The Basic Payment Scheme will replace the current Single Payment Scheme in 2015 and, under Delegated Regulation 640/2014, land with trees at densities of 100 or more per hectare will not be eligible for payments.

“One hundred trees equates to an average spacing between trees of 10 metres or 33 feet,” said FUW agricultural policy director Nick Fenwick.

“At that spacing land can not only be grazed by animals, it can also be cultivated - it is wide enough to drive three or four London buses side by side between trees.

“Under the current interpretation this means vast numbers of areas currently claimed as grazed woodland or eligible land containing ineligible features will be excluded from claims and have to be mapped as ineligible on the Land Parcel Identification System.

“The exclusion of such land from eligible areas makes no sense whatsoever,” added Dr Fenwick.

The letter to Mr Hogan highlights the “severe and presumably unintended impact” the rule will have “…by rendering large areas of agriculturally viable land as ineligible for the Basic Payment Scheme”.

It adds: “The impact…will be felt most acutely on those farms which are severely disadvantaged and/or have retained features such as ancient woodlands within field parcels…payments will be significantly reduced, as eligible areas - often already well below what they should be due to the use of projected rather than actual field areas - will be artificially reduced.”

The letter also emphasises the huge additional burden the Regulation will place on administrations such as the Welsh Government, which already have their work cut out in dealing with the new CAP Regulations.

It states: “The requirement…represents a major additional bureaucratic burden for farmers and administrations alike, which goes wholesale against the Commission’s stated commitment to a simplified Common Agricultural Policy at a time when all Member States are facing extreme financial pressures.

“Given the above, and the importance of agroforestry to rural economies, biodiversity, landscapes and carbon capture, we would urge you to do all you can to reverse a decision which will have a range of adverse and unintended consequences, particularly for our most disadvantaged farms,” the letter adds.

Dr Fenwick said he had also alerted other organisations across the EU to the implications of the rule and was aware that similar concerns were widespread.

“We have had numerous discussions with Welsh Government officials regarding this issue and will be discussing it with Deputy Minister Rebecca Evans in the coming weeks,” he said.

“In the meantime, it is essential that farmers abide by all rules relating to the felling of trees, as the consequences of breaching these could be even worse than the impact of the new Regulation.”