NEW Farmers' Union of Wales premises at Dolgellau livestock market have been officially opened by the union's president Gareth Vaughan following months of renovating and re-decorating.

The work also involved obtaining an electricity connection for light and a telephone connection with internet broadband facility so that the union's local area officers can access various insurance companies.

"Establishing a secure unit for the FUW at the market is a great new development for the union's Meirionnydd branch," said Mr Vaughan. "It is easily accessible and no doubt will be extremely useful for FUW members and insurance policy holders who visit the market, especially as it has use of broadband internet."

FUW director of business development Emyr James said: "The union is continuously striving to improve its services to members and an office at Dolgellau mart demonstrates this commitment.

"We are extremely grateful to Dyfrig Siencyn and staff at auctioneers Farmers Marts for their assistance and co-operation in organising this modern presence at the market," added Mr James.

The Farmers' Union of Wales today expressed concerns over the future of the Welsh Assembly Government offices at Dolgellau.

The union's Meirionnydd county executive officer Huw Jones has written to the head of WAG's Caernarfon office stating members are "profoundly concerned and disappointed" to hear that questions are being raised about the future of this office.

"This office is of immense importance to farmers in Meirionnydd and any indication that there is a question as to the future presence of WAG in Dolgellau is of tremendous concern and worry," he added.

"The vast majority of farmers in Meirionnydd use this office at some time or other, particularly during submission of Single Application Forms, with the office being open every day in the two weeks leading up to the middle of May each year.

"It is vitally important that farmers are able to present their SAF form at a local office, whereby they will obtain a receipt rather than take the risk of sending the form to the Welsh Assembly Government using the postal system."

Farmers use the office regularly throughout the year as they deal with all farming queries and it is an important focal point to discuss queries, resolve any problems and deliver correspondence.

The Meirionnydd branch has asked the Welsh Assembly Government to consider other options so that farmers in the area may still obtain a local service from WAG.

The theme for the Farmers' Union of Wales Meirionnydd county branch annual general meeting "Sustainable countryside for the next decade" will give members an opportunity to look at the current state of the agricultural industry and consider its future direction.

The meeting will take place on Friday evening January 28 (7.30pm) at the Ship Hotel, Dolgellau, and the speakers will include Countryside Council for Wales chairman Morgan Parry, Aberconwy MP Guto Bebb and HSBC Bank senior agricultural manager Bryn Edmunds.

FUW county executive officer Huw Jones will also present a short report of the branch's activities during 2010 at the start of the meeting.

"I will be taking the opportunity to thank all members of staff, county officials and members for their support and co?operation for what was a very busy year.  We are expecting a strong representation from all parts of Meirionnydd," said Mr Jones.

The Farmers' Union of Wales today urged the Chancellor to scrap his plans for a fuel duty hike in April and demanded that the Coalition government introduces a fuel stabiliser scheme without further delay.

The current surge in inflation, plus the fuel duty rise the Chancellor is committed to introducing, will mean Welsh rural communities could see prices rise by an extra five pence per litre (ppl) or almost 23p per gallon at the pumps.

Prices for unleaded petrol across Wales are already reported to be running at £1.32ppl and up to five pence more for diesel.

"In view of the acute and growing pressure that rises in fuel prices represent for rural businesses, not to mention businesses across the UK, I believe that we have reached a critical point at which action must be taken to significantly reduce fuel tax in order to aid the economy," said FUW president Gareth Vaughan.

"The union is very much in favour of an early introduction of a fuel stabiliser, where duty is cut when oil prices soar and goes up again when prices fall, as this will be much fairer on rural dwellers.

"Bearing in mind that there is a difference of as much as five pence per litre between rural and city garages in Wales already, the added fuel duty coupled with rising oil prices will be devastating to rural communities all over the UK.

"The FUW understands that nothing can be done about the soaring price of crude oil on the international market but the high level of tax imposed on fuel in the UK, compared to every other country in the world, is crippling individuals and businesses alike and threatens to strangle the life out of the rural economy.

"It is grossly unfair that we here in the UK pay far more for our fuel than any other country and the fault lies with the extortionate level of tax imposed by the Government," said Mr Vaughan.

The Farmers’ Union of Wales has welcomed statements by Assembly rural affairs minister Elin Jones and her Scottish and Northern Irish counterparts which are broadly supportive of the union’s views on Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform.

During the FUW’s quarterly council meeting today, FUW president Gareth Vaughan said: “I commend our own Minister and the Scottish and Northern Irish administrations for recognising the importance of the CAP to our respective countries and for arguing in favour of a fair and proportionate share of the budget, flexibility to respond to specific local needs, and a reduction in bureaucracy.

“There are, no doubt, detailed areas relating to the CAP where there may be disagreement, but I am glad that the policies of the FUW and the devolved administrations are in broad agreement regarding the overarching principles.”

Mr Vaughan was reacting to a joint statement by the devolved administrations which highlights the importance of agriculture in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and calls on the UK Government to engage with the devolved administrations in order to develop an agreed UK negotiating position reflecting the different interests across all areas of the UK.

The statement also called for the retention of direct payments and market support measures, and a fairer share of EU Pillar 2 funding.

“I believe that the CAP should be viewed as a tailor-made toolbox with which we can address the challenges that growing populations, climate change, rising sea levels and peak oil production represent to European food security,” said Mr Vaughan.

“These challenges are imminent and will significantly affect future generations. Farming families lie at the heart of finding a solution to these challenges, and this is something which the various Celtic administrations have clearly recognised,” he added.

The devastating effects of this week's riots in Tunisia, the floods currently ravaging the planet and last summer's fire and drought in Russian are a stark warning that food security remains a major concern, Farmers' Union of Wales president Gareth Vaughan said today (Tuesday January 18).

"Soon after last summer's catastrophic fire and drought-ravaged Russian grain harvest Prime Minister Vladimir Putin warned its effect would be much worse than previously forecast," Mr Vaughan told the union's annual Welsh farmhouse breakfast at the National Assembly Senedd building.

The FUW organises the function, sponsored by Hybu Cig Cymru, NatWest Rural Banking Wales and the Welsh Assembly Government, to support of the Home Grown Cereals Authority's "Farmhouse Breakfast Week" initiative.

"Sri Lanka is also facing a deepening food crisis after last week's floods decimated crops at a time of high prices and left a quarter of the country under water," Mr Vaughan added.

"Mr Putin revealed the Russian harvest was expected to plummet to 60 million tonnes from the previous forecast of 75 million tonnes which resulted in an increase of wheat prices by 25 per cent.

"And now official estimates say Sri Lanka is in danger of losing as much as 20 per cent of its harvest from the torrential rains.

"So as we tuck into our Welsh breakfast today, let's remember that the fortunes of Welsh farming over the coming year will depend on a range of influences which are as impossible to predict as the weather.

"At the same time we must all strive to avoid a similar scenario to what is happening in Tunisia where violence has spiralled out of control and the death toll reached 23 after people took to the streets to protest about the increasing difficulty of trying to put food on the table and government corruption.

"The protesters there were very unhappy about rising food and fuel prices and the question is now being asked - will the southern Mediterranean region see more food riots?

"The Tunisian violence followed hot on the heels of unrest throughout the region due to rising food prices and youth unemployment.

"In Algeria, protests also broke out earlier this month over price hikes in sugar, milk and flour and resulted in the death of five people.

"So I want to stress that here in Wales we must never forget that farming is an industry for which decisions made now can take years to take effect.

"2011 is a year in which critical decisions regarding the future of the Common Agricultural Policy, and therefore all of our fortunes, will be made at the highest level.

"The EU Commission has already made it clear that food security remains a priority, but the coming months will require lobbying at all levels to fight for a policy which properly reflects the essential role that family farms play in maintaining food production and the fabric of our rural communities."