North Wales beef and sheep farmer, Glyn Roberts, has been unanimously re-elected as President of the Farmers’ Union of Wales at a recent virtual meeting of the Council of the Union.

Glyn Roberts first became President of the Farmers’ Union of Wales in 2015. Since then he has helped to secure #FairFarmFunding for farmers in Wales; has focussed on the importance of agriculture in rural communities and on the Welsh language; and has promoted why #FarmingMatters on a national scale.

Speaking about his re-appointment, Glyn Roberts said: “It is an honour and privilege to serve as the President of the Farmers’ Union of Wales and I thank our members for putting their trust in me for another term.

“These are very uncertain times for our industry. Our sector is dealing with the repercussions of the coronavirus outbreak, Brexit and our future relationship with the EU is still uncertain and there are many other farming issues, such as water regulations, future farm policies and bovine TB, which will need to be addressed and resolved over the coming months and years.

“Taking this Union forward and ensuring that we advance and protect Wales’ family farms, both nationally and individually, in order to secure thriving, sustainable family farms here in Wales has always been our mission and vision - and we will continue to do everything we can to keep our farmers farming.”

An extension to the EU Withdrawal period must be agreed, if the UK Government and European Union fail to reach an agreement regarding close post-Withdrawal Period trading arrangements in the coming weeks.

That was the consensus reached by Council delegates of the Farmers’ Union of Wales at a special virtual meeting on Thursday 25 June. 

“Given around two thirds of identifiable Welsh exports go to European Union (EU) Member States and that Welsh agriculture is particularly dependent on such exports for its economic viability, failure to enter a close trading agreement with the EU after the current EU Withdrawal Period would be catastrophic for Wales and its farmers,” said FUW President Glyn Roberts. 

Succession planning is often a taboo subject in farming families. Yet it is a topic that requires attention and conversation. To help address some of the uncomfortable questions and shed light on issues that go beyond retirement planning, the Farmers’ Union of Wales has teamed up with South Wales based law firm RDP Law and is hosting a virtual seminar.

The event, which is free for FUW members, will take place on Wednesday, July 8 at 7.30 pm and is hosted via Zoom.

Leading the conversation on the night is Sioned Thomas, who heads up both the Agricultural and Private Client departments at RDP Law. She has extensive experience in estate administration and succession planning for farming clients as well as acquisition, disposal and re-financing of agricultural property. Sioned has a farming background and understands that the family relationship within a farming business is like no other. 

“Succession planning is vital for any farming family looking to protect the future of their business. A succession plan is a long-term plan about the future of the farming business, the goals and vision of the business and a plan on how to achieve them. 

Do you know what your rights are when it comes to compulsory purchase and utilities work on your farm? If you want to find out what can and can’t be done on your land, then sign-up to the Farmers’ Union of Wales webinar, which is being hosted in conjunction with  Davis Meade Property Consultants. 

This webinar on Zoom will be presented by Eifion Bibby and Charles Cowap of Davis Meade Property Consultants, building on their long association with the Union. It takes place on Tuesday 7 July at 7pm and will cover the basics of compulsory purchase including the legal rights of acquiring authorities and utility operators.  

The Farmers’ Union of Wales has responded with dismay to the news that one of Wales’ biggest food companies, Castell Howell which employs around 700 staff, is having to consider job cuts because of the drop in hospitality trade caused by the covid-19 lockdown.

West Wales farmer and entrepreneur, Brian Jones, who formed Castell Howell Foods in the early 1980s, has previously been recognised for his services to agriculture with the Farmers’ Union of Wales External award for services to agriculture.

Responding to the news, FUW Carmarthenshire chairman Phil Jones said: “Brian has done so much for agriculture and his passion for Wales as a food destination has been second to none. His commitment to do what is good for Wales as well as His Celtic Pride brand has always been an example of that. 

“For the company to now face potential job losses because of covid-19 is heartbreaking to say the least. The wider consequences for the rural economy, suppliers and staff could be drastic if no alternative can be found. 

“We are hoping that this will be only a small blip in this company's future and that they can return to normality, increase their business growth as soon as possible and re-employ not just those that may have lost their jobs but many more.

“The consequences for the food service industry have been devastating and sadly Castell Howell have not been exempt. With this in mind we call on the Welsh Government to do all they can to assist the sector in recovering from the lockdown downturn as quickly as possible.”

The Farmers’ Union of Wales has written to Economy Minister, Ken Skates, following the news that British Wool has been denied covid-19 support through the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CIBLs). 

The covid-19 pandemic has led to a significant drop in demand for wool as the global market for cross bred wool has been shut since February this year.  

The busiest selling period for GB and Welsh wool is between February and May each year and the impact of the coronavirus on wool sales has therefore been particularly acute. 

In its letter, the FUW highlighted the impact that the closure of wool markets would have on the price received by sheep farmers for their wool and highlighted that sheep producers must still pay for this year's shearing costs.  

FUW Deputy President Ian Rickman said: “The closure of normal wool markets has left British Wool with around one third of their wool stock unsold and this has had a direct impact on sheep producer incomes.  This unsold stock not only detrimentally affects calculated wool values, which are payable for the 2019-20 balance, but also means that British Wool are unable to pay an advance for this season’s wool.”  

Despite funding being made available to other wool purchasers,  British Wool has failed to qualify for support as they have been classified as a public sector body.  

“British Wool is wholly independent, self-funding and operates within a competitive market place.  We believe that British Wool should have fully qualified for support under the CBILs scheme or some other variation of covid-19 support for businesses.  

“Given the impact upon both the sector and upon primary producers, we have made our views known and have written to the Minister to call for a rethink on this funding decision,” added Ian Rickman.