The Farmers’ Union of Wales has welcomed a BBC Trust report which highlights significant shortcomings in the way rural issues are reported.

The report, which follows a review of the impartiality of the BBC’s rural affairs reporting, found that health, education and employment issues in rural areas were rarely covered, with the corporation preferring to focus on ‘fluffy’ images of the countryside, and an over emphasis on environmental issues.

However, reporting in the devolved regions, including in Wales, was found to be far more representative and show a depth and breadth of understanding of rural areas and rural lives.

FUW policy director Nick Fenwick, who gave evidence to the review, said: “There was a strong feeling amongst Welsh rural organisations that coverage by BBC Wales and BBC Cymru was far more focussed on the realities of the countryside, whereas UK reporting tended to be biased in favour of urban, middle class views.

“It is interesting that similar conclusions were reached by the trust following interviews in other devolved regions.”

The report also highlights a failure to adequately reflect the impact of bovine TB on farmers, with an over-emphasis on the emotional response of anti-badger cull protesters and ‘fluffy badgers’ which audiences believed was never going to result in an impartial impression.

The report states that: “The predominant use of images of healthy badgers to open or conclude a report was felt to weight the argument in favour of the anti-cull lobby. People asked where were the pictures of sick badgers with TB, or infected cows being shot, or a distraught farming family coming to terms with the loss of their animals.”

Dr Fenwick said that the BBC Trust’s findings were extremely welcome, and that the BBC should now work to change the ‘fluffy’ urban bias which exists, particularly in reporting by the BBC’s UK networks.

“Those responsible for the BBC’s UK broadcasts have a great deal to learn from Radio Cymru and Radio Wales in terms of being more connected with rural areas and reporting the realities of issues such as bovine TB.

“At the moment, the naïve and stereotypical view that our rural areas are no more than wildlife parks for urban visitors seems to dominate UK reporting” added Dr Fenwick.

Farmers' Union of Wales vice president Richard Vaughan and the union's Caernarfon and Meirionnydd county executive officers Gwynedd Watkin and Huw Jones joined friends and supporters of the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) on their fund-raising "Snowdon Charity Challenge" last Saturday (June 21).

The event was co-ordinated by RABI's North Wales regional manager Mel Jones and walkers took the path that follows the Snowdon Mountain Railway from Llanberis. The picture shows the FUW representatives on the 3,560ft high summit of Snowdon.

[caption id="attachment_2961" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] From left, Richard Vaughan, Huw Jones, Gwynedd Watkin, Mel Jones with daughter Sian, Sara Robinson (sunglasses) with mother Ann Robinson and far right is RABI Trustee Pat Davies.[/caption]

The Farmers' Union of Wales (FUW) today announced the successful launch of FUW Insurance Services Ltd which is aimed at attracting insurance business from commercial, personal and agricultural insurance customers.

The insurance broking business of FUW, together with all its staff, has been transferred into the new company that will trade as a separate, subsidiary organisation from the FUW’s union activities.

This re-organisation will allow FUW Insurance Services to operate as a discrete business to enable it to develop its insurance services and enter new insurance markets to cover the rural community and businesses in Wales and beyond.

FUW Insurance Services has a chain of offices throughout Wales enabling it to provide a local and focussed service. With its team of 32 insurance specialists covering the whole of Wales the company is confident it will be able to expand its insurance offering to the commercial, personal and agricultural communities.

To support the launch of the business FUW Insurance Services has commenced a series of television advertisements, initially on S4C.

A new website (http://www.fuwinsurance.co.uk/) and a range of marketing literature have also been created to brand the new enterprise.

The new company is led by managing director Mark Roberts, formerly the FUW's operations director for the FUW. Chairman of the new board is former FUW deputy president and a non-executive director of Dairy Crest PLC Tom Jones, of Anglesey.

Ken Isherwood, the former managing director of FarmWeb - one of the largest insurers in the agricultural sector - is a non-executive director and the finance director is David Parker, who has a wide experience in a variety of industries. The company will be looking to appoint senior managers in the operations and sales areas shortly.

Mr Roberts said: “We are entering exciting times and, among other benefits, the new structure will allow us to expand our product range and enter new markets.”

[caption id="attachment_2958" align="aligncenter" width="218"] FUW Insurance Services Ltd managing director Mark Roberts[/caption]

The Farmers' Union of Wales 2014 internal award in recognition of services to the agricultural industry in Wales has been won by Meinir Bartlett who retired as the Carmarthenshire county executive officer at the end of last year after working at the union's Carmarthen office for 17 years.

Delegates at the union's annual general meeting in Aberystwyth were reminded that last autumn Mrs Bartlett also received the FUW/United Counties Agricultural & Hunters Society award for outstanding service to agriculture in Carmarthenshire.

She started her career in agriculture as a switchboard operator/receptionist with the then MMB (Milk Marketing Board) in Llanelli more than 40 years ago. While employed by the MMB she oversaw the introduction of the automatic recording of milk litres collected from individual farms throughout South Wales.

After the MMB ceased to exist in October 1994 she worked for its successor body, Milk Marque, until October 1995 when the office in Llanelli closed.

She then worked for West Wales TEC until April 1996 when she joined the FUW as administrative assistant. She was promoted to senior administrative assistant during February 2001 and to county executive officer in November 2006.

FUW president Emyr Jones said: "Meinir was an outstanding success in her role as county executive officer and made a significant contribution to agriculture in Carmarthenshire. She is an excellent ambassador and spokesman for agriculture."

For many years, Mrs Bartlett organised a number of important agricultural events in the county including the FUW/HSBC Bank plc eve of the Welsh Dairy Show function and the award for outstanding service to the Welsh dairy industry.

She also organised a dinner at Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli, in 2010 which raised £2,660 for the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI).

The union's J Owen Slaymaker Memorial Award for to the county branch that has performed best in three key disciplines - replies to consultation papers, public relations and organising events and functions - was won by Meirionnydd.

Presenting the award to county executive officer Huw Jones, FUW deputy president Glyn Roberts said during 2013 the branch organised and arranged a host of successful events and functions.

"These included 10 branch meetings with a guest speaker at every one, a county annual dinner, a number of farm visits, taking North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Winston Roddick to the local mart, and meetings with MPs and AMs including a visit to the House of Commons, to showcase local produce, together with a number of local members."

Other staff awards were presented to Anglesey county executive officer Heidi Williams (recruitment) for enrolling 33 new members, Denbighshire area officer Caryl Edwards (performance against target) and Montgomeryshire area officer David Lush (efficiency).

[caption id="attachment_2948" align="aligncenter" width="591"] FUW Montgomeryshire area officer David Lush receives his award for efficiency[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2949" align="aligncenter" width="556"] FUW Anglesey county executive officer Heidi Williams was recognised for enrolling 33 new members[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2950" align="aligncenter" width="829"] The union's J Owen Slaymaker Memorial Award for to the county branch that has performed best in three key disciplines - replies to consultation papers, public relations and organising events and functions - was won by Meirionnydd.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2951" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]
The Farmers' Union of Wales 2014 internal award in recognition of services to the agricultural industry in Wales has been won by Meinir Bartlett who retired as the Carmarthenshire county executive officer at the end of last year after working at the union's Carmarthen office for 17 years.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2952" align="aligncenter" width="617"] Denbighshire area officer Caryl Edwards is recognised for best performance against target.[/caption]

The Farmers' Union of Wales has welcomed today's Welsh Government's statement on the future of the Glastir land management scheme under the next Rural Development Programme (RDP) particularly its promise to engage closely with stakeholders to implement its proposals.

“The union has called for many of the proposals within the document over a number of years and the introduction of greater flexibility into the scheme will help make it more accessible to a greater number of farmers who have been top sliced 15% of their single farm payment to help finance RDP measures," said FUW land use and parliamentary committee chairman Gavin Williams, of Holyhead, Anglesey.

"All elements of Glastir will now be independent of each other and stocking densities will be developed to recognise the farming calendar which has been a barrier for many farmers.

“We also welcome the development of a new Small Grant and Habitat Network component which we believe will provide a positive first step into environmental management for some farmers.

“Whilst there remain some concerns about some aspects of the proposals, such as the increased allocation of resources for forestry and the suggested use of RDP funds to replant public forests, in general terms we look forward to working with Welsh Government to take these proposals forward."

[caption id="attachment_2939" align="aligncenter" width="832"] Re-elected FUW president Emyr Jones[/caption]

Bala beef and sheep farmer Emyr Jones was re-elected as the Farmers' Union of Wales' national president at the union's quarterly grand council meeting in Aberystwyth yesterday (June 16).

Mr Jones has held the position since June 2011. His deputy, Glyn Roberts, of Padog, near Betws y Coed, and three vice presidents - Brian Walters (Carmarthen), Brian Thomas (Llanfyrnach, Pembrokeshire) and Richard Vaughan (Tywyn, Gwynedd) - were also re-elected.

They form the presidential team that sits on the union's finance and organisation committee together with re-elected North Wales special member Eifion Huws (Holyhead) and newly-elected South Wales special member Brian Bowen who replaces Lorraine Howells (Rhymney, Gwent), the recently elected Welsh Black Cattle Society president.

Mr Bowen, 54, was brought up at Penwenallt Farm, Cwmcou, Newcastle Emlyn, Carmarthenshire, and now farms at Pencoedcae Farm, Princetown, near Tredegar, Blaenau Gwent.

He is chairman of Llangynider Common Association and also chairs its Glastir committee. He is an executive member of two other commons associations (Buckland Manor Common and Gelligaer & Merthyr Common) and a director on the board of the Hay & Brecon Farmers agricultural co-operative.

He said: "I am very interested in representing farmers in discussions concerning the future of the CAP and have taken part in meetings with MPs, AMs and MEPs to put across their views.

"I believe it is also up to my generation to ensure that family farming in Wales continues and is attractive to the younger generation, such as my son."

[caption id="attachment_2940" align="aligncenter" width="800"] The union's finance and organisation committee newly-elected South Wales special member Brian Bowen[/caption]