A new entrant to farming on Anglesey has highlighted his concerns about the future of the farming industry to local MP Virginia Crosbie, when he welcomed her to his tenant farm Tywrideen, Rhoscolyn, Caergybi.
Cai Jones, a young farmer who set up his own holding around 2 years ago after gaining tenancy at Tywrideen, farms around 300 acres of land all of which is rented. The farm business is run in partnership with his younger brother Osian.
The land is of less favourable qualities and the majority lies on the coastline, and the brothers are all too clear that the future of farm payments and agri environment schemes is crucial to this type of farm.
Both Cai and Osian work off the farm on a regular basis carrying out casual labour jobs on local farms to boost their income. This is in addition to keeping 450 ewes and 30 suckler cows of their own.
“As young, tenant farmers, we need as much certainty as possible on what the future of agricultural funding is going to look like. Maintaining agricultural support is absolutely crucial to the rural economy and agricultural production,” said Cai Jones.
Union officials stressed the point that funding cuts for agriculture would have severe consequences for the rural economy and farming businesses.
“We are looking at less money not only for farms, but also for the tens of thousands of Welsh non-farming businesses that provide services and goods to our farms. With a reduction in funding, we also have to recognise the environmental goals and net zero ambitions are put at great risk. If there are no farmers to look after the land and produce food, our landscape, rural economy and food security are at great risk - a risk that is avoidable,” added Cai.
FUW Anglesey county executive officer Alaw Jones added: “It is essential for politicians and policy makers to fully understand the economic role played by farm support in supply chains and the dangers of cuts and changes proposed by some.”
The brothers are also concerned about the trade deals with Australia and New Zealand, which open the door to cheaper food imports.
“The UK Government has been pursuing liberal trade deals that its own figures show will undermine UK food security. These deals have been shown to have negligible benefits for the UK’s economy whilst opening up UK markets to products that do not meet our own high standards. The UK Government needs to focus on trade policies that place UK food security and producers at the top of their agenda,” said Osian Jones.
In addition the Union also highlighted concerns around livestock worrying and highlighted to the MP that at present, neither the police nor other agencies are required by the Home Office to record statistics of livestock attacks or mortalities and the FUW believes that this crime remains significantly under-reported and under-recorded.
“The inability to officially monitor the extent and impact of the issue - coupled with a lack of police powers to bring offenders to justice - has eroded confidence in reporting amongst our membership.
“The evidence surrounding the nature and extent of dog attacks on livestock means that the only way to properly tackle such crimes is by introducing new legislation which is fit-for-purpose and which recognises the significant - and avoidable - losses experienced by hard-working farming families following a dog attack.
“It is now incumbent on the Government to protect rural communities by ensuring that these elements of the UK Kept Animals Bill are brought forward,” added Alaw Jones.