The Farmers' Union of Wales today welcomed the decision to set up an independent review panel into the Welsh Assembly Government's controversial land management scheme, Glastir, after it received fewer than 3,000 applications from farmers.

"Some serious questions now need to be asked as to why we are in this situation," said FUW president Gareth Vaughan. "The FUW has been expressing its profound concerns about the scheme for over twelve months and it is only now the Assembly have woken up to the fact that the scheme is currently impractical for many farmers.

"Last year the union called for a 12-month delay to the introduction of the scheme so that it could be fully thought out, piloted and all elements launched at the same time so that farmers could make considered business decisions.

"It is, therefore, no surprise that less than 20% of those who expressed an interest in the scheme have actually submitted application forms, and we are sadly now in a 'we told you so' situation.

"However, the decision by the Minister to establish an independent review panel to try and make the scheme more practical must be welcomed, providing the advice of the panel is fully accepted by the Assembly and acted upon quickly."

The Farmers' Union of Wales has welcomed the decision by Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones to protect key priority areas in the 2011/12 draft budget.

Areas which have been targeted for protection include the delivery of the Rural Development Plan, the administration of the Single Payment Scheme, bovine TB eradication, and the Young Entrants' Support Scheme.

Responding to the announcement, FUW President Gareth Vaughan said: "The current financial climate means that a reduction in the Rural Affairs department's draft budget was inevitable.

"While such cuts are naturally a cause for concern, we welcome the decision to protect key areas relating to the Single Payment, Rural Development, bovine TB, and the YES Scheme.

"The Single Payment Scheme and Rural Development Plan deliver significant sums of money to Wales's communities, and failure to protect these budgets could have led to the loss of European funding which is essential to our rural economy.

"Eradication of the current bTB disease epidemic and maintaining support for young people are also important areas that we are glad to see being protected."

However, Mr Vaughan emphasised that the Union would continue to monitor the situation closely.

"Welsh agriculture makes an essential contribution to our economy, culture, and environment, and we must ensure that cuts do not have a knock-on effect which undermines these key contributions."

The Farmers’ Union of Wales’ milk and dairy produce committee has backed a policy of supporting traditional family farms rather than the much debated concept of "super-dairies".

At a recent meeting of the committee, delegates unanimously backed a policy position stating that: "The issues surrounding super-dairies are complex and some groups have hijacked the issue to lobby on separate or peripheral issues.

"The Farmers’ Union of Wales does not agree that super-dairies would routinely lead to welfare issues, as some would have us believe. However, the union has major concerns regarding the impact of such farms in terms of the public’s perception of the dairy industry, and on the milk price and the industry as a whole.

"Given that a single super-dairy could take the place of scores of average sized family dairy farms, the union would prefer to see traditional family farms staying in business and receiving a fair price for their milk, rather than single massive units pushing others out of business and being used as an excuse to further depress the milk prices received by average sized Welsh dairy farms."

Committee chairman Eifion Huws, a dairy farmer from Anglesey, welcomed the decision. He said: "The size of the average dairy herd in Wales is around 75, so it does not take a genius to work out that a single super-dairy milking three thousand cattle could take the place of forty average sized family farms.

"It also seems inevitable that the ability of super-dairies to supply large volumes will lead to those who supply more modest volumes being accused of being ‘inefficient’ and receiving a lower milk price as a result.

"We are already seeing a situation in which farms which would previously have been considered as not insubstantial are being paid a lot less for their milk than their larger neighbours, and super-dairies are likely to accelerate this trend.

"The major retailers are driving some farmers towards this type of expansion, and many others out of the industry. My preference would be to see traditional family dairy farms staying in business and receiving a fair price for their milk, rather than a single massive unit pushing others out of business and being used as an excuse to further depress the milk prices received by average sized Welsh dairy farms.

"I believe that the general public also agrees with this sentiment.

"The FUW was set up more than half a century ago to protect the interests of Welsh family farms, and I believe that this policy is fully in keeping with that objective."

The Farmers' Union of Wales has stressed European Commission proposals, published today, relating to changes to the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) should prompt action by the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) to take a proactive role in defending Wales's interests.

FUW president Gareth Vaughan said: "Today's publication contains a great deal of information which highlights the importance of maintaining a strong Common Agricultural Policy in order to ensure food security and protect our rural communities and environments.

"However, the document is weak on specific details and really serves to outline a list of broad agenda items for the forthcoming debate on the future of the CAP post 2013."

Mr Vaughan, speaking prior to a briefing session on the publication with Owen Jones, Head of Unit for the EU's Financial Management of the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund, said: "Agriculture makes an essential contribution to Wales's economy and the CAP represents an annual injection of around £380m into our rural communities.

"In light of this importance, the Welsh Assembly Government must now rise to the challenge and argue for a post 2013 CAP which gives the maximum benefit to Wales."

The document - entitled "The CAP towards 2020: Meeting the food, natural resources, and territorial challenges of the future" - names the three main objectives of a future CAP as being viable food production, sustainable management of natural resources and climate action, and balanced territorial development.

The document also draws attention to the need to ensure farmers receive a fairer share of returns from the supply chain, drawing attention to the fact that farmers' share of retail prices have fallen dramatically over the years, while the profits of others, such as the major retailers, have boomed.

"There are a number of welcome suggestions in the document, and others which are not welcome," said Mr Vaughan.

"However, there is little or no meat on the bones at the moment and the real devil will be in the more detailed proposals which will emerge over the coming months.

"The Welsh Assembly Government must do all it can to influence those proposals in a way which benefits Wales, and ensures that we get a share of CAP funding which more properly reflects the challenges faced in Wales."

The FUW has previously been severely critical of WAG's failure to investigate what Welsh priorities should be in terms of CAP reform.

In July this year the union told the Assembly's Rural Development Sub Committee that WAG "appeared content to sit on the sidelines with no clear view on CAP reform, despite the importance of the CAP to Wales's economy, while other countries were proactively influencing the debate at an European level in a way which might not necessarily be beneficial to Wales".

Mr Vaughan said there are a number of welcome suggestions in the document and others which are not welcome. "I am particularly concerned at the proposed 'greening' of Pillar one, which could require farmers to undertake additional environmental management over and above cross compliance.

"Our view is that environmental goods and services have a value to society and so farmers should be compensated for undertaking them, as currently happens under Pillar two."

[caption id="attachment_4996" align="aligncenter" width="300"] From left, Huw Llyr Rees, Shana Rees, Aled Rees and Richard Evan Rees.[/caption]

Meirionnydd farming couple Aled and Shana Rees's recent decision to give the running of their flourishing farm business to their two young sons ensures it remains in the hands of a fourth generation of the family.

"I will be forever grateful to my late father for giving me the opportunity to run the business at a very young age and Shana and I are absolutely determined for our two sons to be given the same chance in life," said Aled Rees, of Penmaendyfi, Pennal, near Machynlleth.

Both sons, 22-year-old Richard Evan and Huw Llyr, 19, are keen stockmen and will relish the opportunity to expand the farming business and retain the family's high standard of stockmanship at the neighbouring Penmaenbach farm which Aled's grandfather rented when the family moved to the area in 1937.

"Shana and I passionately believe that by giving responsibility to our sons at a very young age, it will greatly enhance their chances of succeeding in business in later life," Aled Rees added.

His father, the well known bass singer Richard Rees, bought the farm in the 1950s and purchased neighbouring land when the opportunities arose. A new house was built at Penmaenbach in 1962 under the "Small Farm Scheme" which helped many farmers in similar circumstances.

Aled Rees and his father were pioneers in the tourism business when they established Penmaenbach Caravan Park in 1972. This became an important source of additional income for the farm.

Then in 1990, Aled and Shana began the self-catering side of the tourism business, first by renovating the old dilapidated farmhouse at Penmaenbach and then the farm buildings and today the new farmhouse built in 1962 is also let as self-catering accommodation.

In 1999 they bought Penmaendyfi, the nearby 16th century Welsh country mansion, to run it as a restaurant and bar together with 27 caravans and chalets. The mansion was completely renovated and is now run as a hotel. Full details can be viewed on www.penmaendyfi.co.uk

The farming enterprise at Penmaenbach extends to approx 300 acres. It was the 10th farm to enter the Tir Cymen scheme in Meirionnydd back in 1992 and is currently in the Tir Gofal scheme.

The 10-year agreement comes to an end next year but, as with the majority of similar agreements, a transitional agreement has been signed extending the scheme to the end of 2013.

Clearly there is interest in the Glastir scheme following Tir Gofal although, at current predictions, it will be less than 50% of the money under the All-Wales element.

The sheep enterprise involves a total of 450 mainly Beulah and Welsh mules with a small flock of Texels. All lambs are fattened on farm and sold to local butcher William Lloyd Williams at Machynlleth or sent to Dunbia abattoir at Llanybydder, near Lampeter.

Welcoming Aled and Shana's decision to hand over the farming businesses to their sons, Farmers' Union of Wales president Gareth Vaughan said the industry desperately needed young people like Richard Evan and Huw Llyr to ensure that Welsh farming can look to the future with confidence.

"The FUW welcomes all measures, including the Assembly's innovative Young Entrants Support Scheme, that can contribute towards a successful and sustainable future for our industry and the success of enterprises such as Penmaenbach are the key in achieving these goals."

[caption id="attachment_4992" align="aligncenter" width="300"] From left, Meinir Bartlett, Eirios Thomas, Welsh Dairy Show president Islwyn Thomas and Welsh Dairy Show chairman Lynn Davies.[/caption]

Carmarthenshire YFC federation county organiser Eirios Thomas has received the Farmers' Union of Wales-United Counties Agricultural and Hunters Society award for the most outstanding contribution to agriculture in the county.

A farmer's daughter from Cwmann, near Lampeter, Mrs Thomas was presented with the award at the recent Welsh Dairy Show dinner.

FUW county executive officer Meinir Bartlett said Mrs Thomas attended Bangor University and commenced her career as a teacher in Clwyd before she was drawn back to her native county.

"She started working for the YFC as Carmarthenshire county organiser in 1977. Since then her love, devotion and commitment to the movement, young people and agriculture has been unfailing.

"Year after year she has created and inspired a full and varied programme of events and competitions to challenge the membership. She regularly visits 24 clubs in the county and earns the respect of all the members. As a result of this she knows them all by name, knows their families and gains the co-operation of the local community.

"Members cease to compete at the age of 26, but she encourages them to remain close to their roots in the countryside.

The County YFC Agriculture Forum was established following her initiative, with seminars, farm walks and courses organised to educate the youth in rural and agricultural issues.

"She has often been described as one who 'lives and breathes' the YFC, because she believes that it gives the youth an opportunity to learn new skills that are not available within the classroom."

Under Mrs Thomas' leadership, the county regularly wins the best overall county at the Royal Welsh Show and the Western Mail Trophy for achievement at Wales level throughout the year.

This year Carmarthenshire YFC was the only county within Wales to increase its membership. With over 800 members Carmarthenshire is regarded as the leading county within the Wales Federation.

Mrs Thomas believes that by encouraging the youngsters they will develop into better farmers, better citizens and better countrymen and, as a result, the agriculture industry and institutions of Carmarthenshire will flourish.