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(l-r) FUW member David Van-Poucke, FUW Glamorgan County Chairman Ritchie Walker, FUW Deputy President Brian Thomas, Cynon Valley AM Vikki Howells and FUW Gwent County Executive Officer Glyn Davies[/caption]
A delegation of Farmers’ Union of Wales officials and Glamorgan county staff have welcomed Cynon Valley AM Vikki Howells to a farm outside of Abercynon, in a bid to highlight how farming matters.
Opening the gates to his farm welcoming the delegation, was David Van-Poucke, 65, of Gilfach y Rhyd Farm, Abercynon, Mountain Ash, Mid – Glamorgan, whose parents have been farming here since 1950.
The farm extends to approximately 100 acres, all down to pasture and current stocking includes 16 suckler cows, 130 breeding ewes, and 5 breeding sows.
Being located on the ridge between 2 valleys the farm is typical of the sort found in the Valleys of South Wales.
Some of the concern discussed with Vikki Howells included the constant rule changes in Glastir, the increase in record keeping requirements, fly tipping, Ragwort and Himalayan balsam control on Welsh Government land, broadband as well as an increase in public access.
In addition, the FUW used the opportunity to highlight to the AM that farming matters in so many ways that are seldom realised.
FUW Gwent County Executive Officer Glyn Davies, who joined the visit, said: “We are very grateful for the opportunity to have met with Vikki Howells to discuss many matters of concern but also to show her that farms don’t just produce food but that they are also a cornerstone of our rural economies.
“Family farms, like this one here, are at the heart of our rural economy, caring for our landscape, and of course our culture, These farms make innumerable other contributions to the well-being of Wales and the UK and central to such benefits is the production of food and the improvement in domestic food security.”
Mr Davies further highlighted that Welsh food production sustains tens of thousands of other businesses – from upstream businesses such as feed merchants, agricultural contractors and engineers, to downstream businesses such as hauliers, processors and retailers. For every pound generated on farm, around 6 pounds is spent in the wider economy.
Discussing the important issue of bovine TB, Union officials drew attention to the fact that the total number of Welsh cattle slaughtered in 2015 due to bTB was up by 27 percent from 2014 and totaled 8,103.
“We have also reinforced our message that there is a risk that our current levels of bovine TB will result in significant trade restrictions being applied to Welsh produce post Brexit and that they could also be used to undermine our industry during trade negotiations. Alongside stressing the importance of maintaining good post Brexit trade relations, we reminded the AM of our call for cross party action, through the proposed Individual Members debate, asking her to recognise that a Bovine TB breakdown can cause many indirect losses to farm businesses, such as the loss of breeding lines,” added Mr Davies.
The FUW further outlined that as managers of around 80 percent of Wales’ landmass, farmers play an invaluable part in managing and preserving a landscape which provides clean drinking water for millions, is diverse in habitat and species and includes more than 1,000 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). The Welsh landscape also helps to attract millions of tourists to our country each year.
“It is crucial that the farms in the South Wales Valleys remain economically viable, because their decline will see irreparable damage caused to the environment. It is the presence of farmers which give the distinct green wedge between adjoining valleys, and having seen the removal of many of the scars left by the mining industry we do not want our landscape scarred again,” said Glyn Davies.
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Getting to grips with farming: FUW Gwent County Executive Officer Glyn Davies (l) and FUW member David Van-Poucke welcome Cynon Valley AM Vikki Howells to a typical South Wales Valleys farm.[/caption]
He added that: “Other benefits of having farms like these, include the major contributions they make to negating the causes and symptoms of climate change, whether through the storage of carbon in farm woodland, hedgerows and peat bogs, or the generation of green electricity through on-farm wind and water turbines. Further to that farming is underpinned by science and technology and it is the backbone of the Welsh food and drinks sector, which employs 222,400 people, 17 percent of the Welsh workforce.
“By providing employment and economic growth in rural areas, the farming sector mitigates rural depopulation, protects rural culture and heritage and provides a means by which the Welsh language can be maintained. I hope that this visit has proven to be beneficial to Vikki Howells and that the message of why #FarmingMatters will resonate with her as well as other Assembly Members.”
Speaking after the visit, Vikki Howells AM said: “Many people think of Cynon Valley as being a wholly urban community. In fact, 40 percent of the constituency is made up of upland areas containing forestry and farms. I want to engage with all of my constituents so would like to thank the FUW for arranging this visit and Mr Van-Poucke for his generosity in hosting me.
“The visit was very enjoyable and enlightening. The issues we discussed will help inform my work as Assembly Member for Cynon Valley and as a member of the Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee, for example on Glastir, the post-Brexit future of farming and encouraging new entrants into the industry. I am glad that I have already been able to take up some of the issues Mr Van-Poucke mentioned, such as fly-tipping near his farm.”