The Farmers’ Union of Wales today branded the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) deal agreed by the UK Government as an “own-goal” which will have adverse impacts for Welsh farmers.

Following a meeting of the union’s presidential team which discussed the CAP deal in detail, FUW president Emyr Jones said: “Many of the concerns raised repeatedly by the FUW during meetings with MEPs and Commission officials have led to changes which are a massive improvement on what was originally proposed by the Commission in 2011, for example in terms of changes to greening requirement thresholds which take into account the needs of farms in Wales.

“However, this is against a background of a financial deal which will have severe implications for Wales, particularly in terms of Pillar 2 funding.”

Mr Jones said the UK had given away more of its Pillar 2 allocation than any other Member State despite the UK being entitled to a significant increase in its allocation.

“This, coupled with the abolition of co-funding requirements, means a raw deal for UK farmers compared with our competitors in other countries, and a further movement away from commonality between Member States.

“The UK Government seems oblivious or indifferent to the fact that we are within a common market and that we are therefore supposed to have a common policy. They have, in effect, succeeded in negotiating a net financial loss and flexibility which smacks of the renationalisation of agricultural policy by the back door.”

Mr Jones said the UK’s agreement to allow other Member States to increase their level of coupled support to 13% of their CAP budget’s while arguing for an 8% ceiling for the UK indicated an obsession with pursuing idealistic and unrealistic domestic aspirations without any due regard for the fact that we are part of a common market.

“It is a ridiculous negotiating position when you agree to others having more, but only on the condition that you receive less."

Mr Jones said those who claimed the UK’s settlement would not undermine UK farming and its competitiveness were being extremely naïve or disingenuous.

“It is a bad deal for Welsh farmers and rural Wales as a whole, agreed by a government whose approach to the CAP is no different to that of their predecessors.”

Time is running out for entries for the revamped Pembrokeshire Farmers' Union of Wales-Young Farmers Club Countryside Business Award recently launched by natural resources and food minister Alun Davies.

The award is for an individual 40 years of age or under who has developed their own rural-based business and who is or has been actively involved with Pembrokeshire YFC either as a member, past member, club leader or trainer.

Entries must be submitted to the FUW Pembrokeshire county office at 3 North Street, Haverfordwest, by 5pm on Wednesday July 10. Entry forms can be obtained from the office by phoning 01437 762 913.

FUW Pembrokeshire county executive officer Rebecca Voyle said: "We are looking for entries from a wide range of people including those who are farming in their own right.

"Entrants must be providing a service to the agricultural sector or people who have started a rural-based business such as cake making, electrical services, crafts or music teaching. The list is endless.

"By presenting this award we hope to highlight the fantastic work which young people are doing to keep the rural areas of Pembrokeshire vibrant and economically active places."

To be eligible for the award the individual must be:

• 40 years of age or under on January 1 2013;
• Actively involved in a rural-business based in Pembrokeshire;
• Have a link with Pembrokeshire YFC either as a member, past member, club leader or trainer.

A cash prize, perpetual trophy and a year's free membership with the FUW will be presented to the winner during the Pembrokeshire county show (August 13-15).

"Those nominating someone for the award must obtain their consent before their name is put forward," said Mrs Voyle.

The Farmers' Union of Wales today urged the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to deal with complaints about the RSPCA's Metro newspaper anti-badger cull advert by following the precedent set in 2010 when the union’s complaint over campaign group Save the Badger’s use of the word “exterminate” was upheld.

The RSPCA's advert - claiming the English badger cull pilots will "exterminate" badgers - has prompted 80 complaints to the ASA and Defra minister Richard Benyon has described the society as a disgrace for running full page adverts, free of charge, in the Metro newspaper under the headline "Vaccinate or Exterminate?"

The advert adds: “The UK Government wants to shoot England’s badgers. We want to vaccinate them - and save their lives.”  It asks the public to donate £3 to its campaign to "help save England’s badgers" and "stop the cull".

FUW bTB spokesman and vice president Brian Walters said: "Following the union's complaint regarding a similar advertisement, the ASA ruled in December 2010 that claims in newspaper advertisements placed by Save the Badger - a campaigning organisation run by Somerset-based charity Secret World Wildlife Rescue - were untrue and unsubstantiated.

“This included a complaint regarding the claim in the advert that badgers would be ‘exterminated’.”

The ASA concluded that the use of the word “exterminate” by Save the Badger was misleading and breached CAP Code clauses 3.1 (Substantiation), 7.1 (Truthfulness) and 8.1 (Matters of opinion).

Mr Walters added: "The RSPCA's advert is just the latest example of a campaigning group misleading the general public on the issue of badger culling, and the RSPCA has previously been found guilty of using untruthful and unsubstantiated adverts to oppose badger culling.”

Mr Walters was referring to the ASA’s ruling in September 2006 which upheld complaints against the RSPCA’s “Back Off Badgers” campaign by the FUW and a Mrs Hillary Seals. Following a lengthy inquiry, the ASA found the RSPCA had breached ASA Code clauses 3.1 and 3.2 (Substantiation) and 7.1 (Truthfulness).

“Despite this ruling, the RSPCA went on to make the same claims, albeit in a different wording, on their website for 12 months and in 2008 were still using consultation response figures in anti-badger cull lobbying activities which it knew to have been generated by its own untruthful and unsubstantiated campaign.

“The RSPCA have form regarding this issue, but seem to treat both the ASA and the Charity Commission - not to mention the general public - with utter contempt.”

Mr Walters said the FUW had already raised a number of serious concerns with the Charity Commission regarding the RSPCA’s campaigning activities and extreme rhetoric.

“This is just the latest example of a long list of disgraceful activities - including threats to farmers - undertaken by the RSPCA over the past decade.”

Providing advice for an innovative multimedia drama production about Welsh farming's problems of the past year has helped the Farmers' Union of Wales Carmarthenshire executive officer and her staff retain the union's annual Owen Slaymaker Award for promoting the union.

Presenting the award to Meinir Bartlett, FUW deputy president Glyn Roberts said: "Amongst the activities of the winning county, led by the county executive officer supported by all her loyal staff, were the production of Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru's Tir Sir Gâr, the quality of responses to consultation papers and relationships with the Press.

"Our agricultural policy, public relations and administration departments assess each county before deciding the winner of the Owen Slaymaker Award on the basis of what's been achieved during the year and who has gone that extra mile on behalf of members.

"They look for quality of policy consultation responses, press contributions and promoting the union and its activities at every opportunity whilst taking good care of members' needs."

Seventeen years ago Mrs Bartlett succeeded Mr Slaymaker who was the FUW's Carmarthenshire county secretary from 1970-90 and county executive officer from 1990-91 when he died in office.

During the past 12 months flooding, bovine TB and cheap imports - plus the recent horsemeat scandal - have all increased the problems normally faced by the farming industry and continue to threaten livelihoods throughout rural Wales.

So when Mrs Bartlett was approached by the creators of Tir Sir Gâr - who wanted to tackle the challenges faced by a fictional farming family but with an authentic voice - she helped set up interviews for them with real farmers.

They met one FUW member who had three sons but none of them wanted to take over the farm. Another farmer had four daughters and the youngest was going to take over the farm. 

The play deals with a family facing a crisis after the father suffers a brain haemorrhage, prompting them to consider who will inherit the farm and how they will continue on running it.

It was first performed in April at St Peter’s Civic Hall, Carmarthen, from where the audiences were bussed to Carmarthenshire County Museum in nearby Abergwili where 90% of the objects on display are agriculture-related.

Mrs Bartlett said: "We were very pleased that the production of the drama was such a tremendous success. It was a unique event which offered an alternative contemporary rural vision.

"The FUW received high praise and we were warmly thanked and congratulated for our assistance by the writers. They were accompanied around farms in the county to take pictures of Dutch barns which were reconstructed and used in the performance.

"Several FUW members were also interviewed to gather their views and experiences and the production has since been adapted and shown on S4C. Indeed it proved an honour to have been involved with such a production.

"We were also very pleased that when the producer and author were interviewed for S4C's ‘Ffermio’ they stated they had received great assistance from the FUW office in Carmarthen and the programme then showed two interviews with our members."

[caption id="attachment_2498" align="aligncenter" width="245"] WINNER: Meinir Bartlett receives the Owen Slaymaker Award from Glyn Roberts[/caption]

Farmers' Union of Wales staff performance awards for 2012 were presented by deputy president Glyn Roberts during the union's annual general meeting on Monday (June 17) at Aberystwyth.

Mr Roberts said FUW Insurance is now the third biggest insurance broker in Wales. "The union's investment in FUW Insurance is reaping rewards with Gross Premium Income growing at an average of £85,000 per month during 2012 and we are now able to insure all rural risks.

"The area officers are working hard and, given the right tools, they have as a group achieved 78 per cent of their target - a commendable achievement for which the presidential team are extremely grateful."

Following the meeting the union's grand council held its annual presidential team elections and Mr Roberts, together with president Emyr Jones and vice presidents Brian Walters and Richard Vaughan, were all re-elected and remain on the union's finance and organisation committee.

Following a vote former vice president Lorraine Howells and the committee's South Wales special member Brian Thomas swapped places while North Wales special member Eifion Huws also retained his seat on the committee.

[caption id="attachment_2493" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Efficiency: Montgomeryshire area officer David Lush (left) receives his award for the “best managed” insurance portfolio from Glyn Roberts and Emyr Jones.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2494" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Highest insurance book growth: Glyn Roberts presents the award to Glamorgan area officer Sam Evans who grew his book by 25 per cent.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2495" align="aligncenter" width="293"] New members: Glyn Roberts presents the award to Meinir Bartlett, county executive officer for Carmarthenshire where 41 new members were enrolled[/caption]

The story of the design and creation of the Farmers' Union of Wales-sponsored bardic crown for this year's National Eisteddfod in Denbighshire is being captured on film.

The Arts Council of Wales has funded the film by professional artist film maker Chris Oakley and it will be shown during the Eisteddfod at Denbigh (August 2-10) and later at Ruthin Craft Centre, Oriel Wrecsam and Glyndwr University.

FUW's Denbighshire and Flintshire branches commissioned Flintshire artist and silversmith Andrew Coomber to design and manufacture the crown which is inspired by the colour and imagery of the agricultural Vale of Clwyd and Moel Famau and reflects the lyrical qualities of the landscape in harmony with modern technology and materials.

With the agreement of the Eisteddfod and the FUW, the project was run as an externally-funded educational project with four final-year applied art degree students from Glyndwr University, Wrexham, forming a support team for the artist.

FUW Denbighshire county president Eryl Hughes said: "Members in Denbighshire and Flintshire are delighted that the union is providing the crown for this year's National Eisteddfod.

"It is most appropriate for the FUW to be so closely involved with the National Eisteddfod because the union's main aim is to protect and advance the interests of those who derive an income from Welsh agriculture.

"The crown's design clearly shows how farming survives in balance with nature, allowing food to be produced in a sustainable way while also enabling nature to flourish and society to benefit more widely from a range of other services provided by the natural environment."

Academic leader for creative industries, media and performance Stuart Cunningham said: "We are delighted that Andrew has chosen Glyndwr University students to work with him on such a prestigious project.

"The university is always keen to provide students with the opportunity to work on live projects and this is another example of that.

"Andrew is a hugely experienced craftsman and I’m sure that the knowledge and experience which he has passed on to the students will be of tremendous benefit to them." 

Describing the crown's design, Mr Coomber said: "The upper part reflects the colour and qualities of the Clwydian Hills and Moel Famau below which are the sinuous linear qualities of lane, road, fence etc contrasted with the panels of field colours at different times of the season in the rural valley.

"The method of construction employs four anodised and dyed aluminium panels each overlaid with hand forged sterling silver frames.

"These are linked together with gate/stile like structures which are engineered with nylon bearers to expand so that the crown can be easily adjusted to any head size.

"There are approximately 150 individual parts assembled using small scale nuts and bolts reinforcing the representation of engineering in the landscape. At the centre of the top of the crown is a crystal glass interpretation of the Jubilee Tower on Moel Famau.

"The crystal ‘walls’ are enamelled with the word ‘bardd’ repeated in a stone wall pattern. The pleated and formed skull cap is made of hand coloured velvet reflecting the August hue of heather on the Clwydian hills."

[caption id="attachment_2487" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Andrew Coomber with the FUW-sponsored crown.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2488" align="aligncenter" width="300"] CROWN PRESENTATION: FUW’s Denbighshire county president Eryl Hughes and Flintshire county president Clwyd Spencer (centre) present the crown to Denbigh Eisteddfod committee chairman John Glyn Jones (right).[/caption]