Farmers’ Union of Wales members from Gwent and Glamorgan, as well as Union officials, met with Regional MS for South Wales East, Natasha Asghar, at Monmouth Livestock Centre to discuss critical issues facing the industry.
Speaking at the meeting, FUW members highlighted that the way the industry is being portrayed a lot of the time is a far cry from what happens on farms in Wales. FUW Gwent and Glamorgan County Executive Officer Sharon Pritchard said: “People’s perception about our industry here in Wales is often misguided by social media and also by the main press outlets and adverts on the TV. At times also our politicians.
“Here in Wales we have some of the best produce in the world. Our livestock is raised to high animal health and welfare standards, as well as environmental standards. We have mainly grass based systems and farmers are working hard to continuously improve the standards on their land.
“What our industry needs is a government that is supportive of food production and looking after the environment. You can’t have one without the other. And as farmers we are in the best position to help achieve those Net Zero goals that have been set. We want to work with the government to achieve that but it has to be a two-way conversation.”
Addressing the issue of future farm support, FUW Gwent and Glamorgan Deputy County Executive Officer Helen Thomas said: “We can’t keep farming without direct support. Payments for environmental work alone will not allow our farmers to keep producing food. It is vital that this is kept in mind when developing future farm support policies.
“In addition, we urge the Welsh Government to ensure a future payment scheme includes both capping and redistributive payment systems alongside rigorous active farmer criteria in order to protect and enhance the small and medium sized family farms that make up the vast majority of Welsh farm businesses.”
The role of women in farming was also enthusiastically debated. Union officials highlighted that there are over 200,000 agricultural holdings in the UK and 84% of farm holders are male. However women, the MS heard, are more likely to work part-time in agriculture than men.
FUW Senedd and Parliamentary Affairs Officer Libby Davies said: “In the UK, three quarters of female holders work part-time or not at all compared to just over half of men. And approximately three quarters of female farm managers work part-time compared to half of male managers. There is quite a clear picture forming here about the recognised role women have on farms. We are however encouraged by the fact that this year, for the first time, women make up the majority of students studying Agriculture at Aberystwyth University.”
Ms Davies added that whilst the statistics are low in terms of women working on farms, the reality is that women are very active in the industry. “Women have an incredibly important role to play in a farm business, even if the business is in the husbands or father-in-law's name. The statistics don’t accurately reflect what happens on the ground, but one thing is for sure, women are as involved in shaping our industry than men.”
FUW Gwent vice chairman Anne Rees added: “Many believe that it is only men who farm. I was a farmer's daughter, then a farmer's wife. Now it is me and my son running the farm. You will not believe how many people turn up on the yard and ask if the boss is around. Their faces drop when they find out that I’m a full time female farmer.”
Members were also keen to highlight the effects agricultural regulations have on farmers' mental health. FUW Glamorgan acting Vice chairman, Rachel Edwards told the MS that the current Water Resources (Control of Agricultural Pollution) (Wales) Regulations, as well as all the other changes on the horizon, can sometimes feel like too much to carry.
“As an industry overall I’d say we’re a pretty resilient bunch. We cope with the weather, day-to-day problems on the farm, people littering on our land, dogs chasing our livestock and long working hours and much more.
“We take all of that in our stride and carry on. But there are some things that are out of our control, such as the Water Resources (Control of Agricultural Pollution) (Wales) Regulations, bovine TB regulations and trade deals. Not only is all of this putting an unbelievable amount of pressure, financially and mentally, on our farmers but it will also not ensure a sustainable farming sector.
“Our way of life is under threat. How many young people will choose to follow in their parents footsteps? How many will want to pick up the mountains of debt their families have been forced into by the Government to comply with a scheme that is not going to fix anything? It is a real concern for us here and it is within the Welsh Government's power to alleviate some of those burdens. Throwing a few pounds at mental health charities will not fix the situation.”
Concluding the visit, Helen Thomas said: “I would like to thank Natasha Ashghar for her time today. We had very interesting and varied conversations, which we hope will provide much food for thought.”