[caption id="attachment_7839" align="alignleft" width="300"] FUW Flintshire farmers discussed a wide range of #FarmingMatters with their local Assembly Member Hannah Blythyn.[/caption]

Farmers from Flintshire recently came together to discuss a wide range of #FarmingMatters with their local Assembly Member Hannah Blythyn.

The meeting was hosted by FUW Flintshire member John Worthington at Maes y Groes, Cilcain, where he is the third generation to farm the land.

John, together with his wife Jean and son Gareth, runs a 200 acre beef and sheep farm. They further grow corn for use on the farm and root crops. The farm is also part of the Glastir Entry and Glastir Advanced scheme.

Speaking after the visit, John said: “I would like to thank Hannah Blythyn for meeting us and discussing the many challenges we face as an industry. We raised issues such as lack of broadband, the importance of the rural economy and funding for agriculture post 2020 with her. It gave us farmers a great opportunity to connect with our elected Assembly Member and talk about our hopes and fears. I would also like to thank the businesses who came to support our event, helping us to explain why farming matters so much.”

FUW Flintshire County Chairman Eurwyn Roberts highlighted some of the problems farmers living on the border to England face, saying: “The Wales-England border is three times the length of the Scotland-England border and there are around 500 Wales-England cross border farms.

“Such farms have to deal with additional complexity in terms of different sets of rules either side of the border. E.g. different animal movement rules, different reporting systems, different environmental rules etc.

“Payments to such farmers are regularly delayed by months - usually due to poor Rural Payment Agency (England) performance and consistently place them at a significant disadvantage compared with those who are paid within an acceptable timescales by Rural Payments Wales. Many of those farmer affected may have to borrow money, pay additional interest on loans, and be unable to make the most of market prices buy stock or produce at a time when prices are lower.”

Hannah Blythyn further heard that solutions such as allowing holdings to be treated as purely Welsh from an administrative point of view should be considered.

Following the meeting Hannah Blythyn AM said: “It was good to have the opportunity to hear first-hand about issues affecting farming and rural communities in Delyn. I am committed to working together to secure a sustainable future for farming.”

[caption id="attachment_7836" align="alignleft" width="300"] The scheme offers a 40% contribution towards capital investments in specific types of equipment and machinery[/caption]

The Farmers’ Union of Wales has welcomed the launch of a Farm Business Grant set to deliver £40 million over the next four years.

The scheme will allow farm businesses to invest in key equipment relating to cattle, sheep and pig management as well as general equipment relating to crop management, energy and resource efficiency, and Information and Communication Technology.

FUW President Glyn Roberts said: “The FUW long emphasised the importance of making best use of rural development funding through direct funding of technology which meets economic and environmental objectives, and this announcement is therefore welcome.”

The scheme offers a 40% contribution towards capital investments in specific types of equipment and machinery, with grants worth between £3,000 and £12,000.

Three application windows lasting two months are planned, with the first due to open in May 2017, followed by one in August 2017 and the third in February 2018.

“The equipment for which grants are available is limited to a set list of items, each of which has had to be approved by the European Commission, and as with all such schemes there are a number of eligibility requirements which some will find frustrating.

“Nevertheless, the progress which has been made in terms of getting to the point of launching this scheme is welcome,” added Mr Roberts.

Only one application will be approved per business throughout the lifetime of the Scheme.

Further information on the application criteria and guidance notes will be published by Welsh Government shortly and can be accessed on the Welsh Government website.

The triggering of Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty means the need to progress on a vast range of issues is more acute than ever, the Farmers’ Union of Wales has said.

FUW President Glyn Roberts said: “Now that Article 50 has been triggered we know there are just two years in which to deal with a huge volume of work.

“As well as pressing issues with regard to trade deals and negotiating the best possible exit options for the UK, we also need good progress in parallel in terms of reaching understanding and agreement between devolved administrations if we are to develop a home market that works for all.”

Hours after last year’s EU referendum outcome was announced, the FUW called for the Brexit process to be taken at a sensible pace, given the huge amount of planning and work the process would entail.

In February, The House of Commons Library described the Great Repeal Bill, the mechanism by which all EU-related legislation will be reviewed and transposed, as ‘potentially one of the largest legislative projects ever undertaken in the UK.’

“Implementing the Great Repeal Bill is just one element of the work which needs doing over the next two years. Time is running out fast, and moving forward in terms of developing a UK framework for agriculture is just one element of that work,” said Mr Roberts.

Following consultation with members, the FUW agreed last autumn that a UK agricultural framework should be put in place ‘which prevents unfair competition between devolved regions and secures and protects adequate long term funding for agriculture, while also respecting devolved powers over agriculture and the need for flexibility within that framework which allows devolved governments to make decisions which are appropriate for their regions.’

The need to move forward in developing a framework was highlighted in a recent letter to all UK agricultural ministers.

“Such a framework must be discussed with stakeholders and agreed between devolved governments and agricultural ministers, and the wider economic, environmental and social importance of agriculture to our economies make it imperative that such discussions do not become an arena for separate political battles. We can not have an ‘England centric’ solution imposed on us by the UK Government.

“We are concerned that discussions at the highest level regarding the need for and nature of such a framework are not progressing at the appropriate rate, particularly given the very short period during which important decisions need to be made, and that’s why we are repeating our call for all the Governments to work closely and cooperatively to ensure the wellbeing of our rural communities is not compromised,” added the Union President.

In evidence recently given to the Welsh Affairs Select Committee, the FUW highlighted both the need to move forward at an appropriate pace and the dangers of trying to implement a wholly new system prematurely.

“In recent years we have seen what can happen when even slight changes are made to systems and rules which affect agriculture, particularly in England and in Scotland. And the problems in England in 2005 and 2006 are well documented.

“We have to have a gradual transition to any new rules, and that means making sure there are few differences between the systems which are in place on the last day of EU membership and the first day of Brexit. A UK framework needs to be in place to achieve this.

“It is a definite case of needing more haste and less speed,” added Mr Roberts.

[caption id="attachment_7816" align="aligncenter" width="300"] ‘Llafur Cefn Gwlad – Labour Friends of Farming’ launch.[/caption]

The Farmers’ Union of Wales highlighted that farmers in Wales and the UK are at the top of their game and reached out to people to strengthen the relationship between producer and consumer at the Labour Party annual Spring conference in Llandudno.

FUW President Glyn Roberts said: “We had a great time here today at the Labour Party conference reaching out to people and telling them about the fantastic work our farmers do every day of the year. Our farmers are the top of the crop and produce fantastic food for us 365 days a year.

“It was also a fantastic opportunity to remind people of the important work our farmers do - they don’t just produce food, which is recognised worldwide for its superb quality, taste and outstanding animal health and welfare standards but they are the custodians of the countryside we all love so much.

“Our farmers manage 1.8 million hectares of land in Wales; that’s over 80% of the land area in Wales and the Welsh countryside that is managed by your local farmer provides the backdrop for the tourism industry which is worth over £2.5 billion.

“And farming is also the cornerstone of the £6.1 billion Welsh food and drink supply chain industry, which employs 76,000 people in the food and farming sector. It’s worth remembering that all of this also helps to retain our young people in rural communities.

“That’s why it is so important to remind people that #FarmingMatters and why the FUW continues to strive for the right deal for our farming communities once we make an exit from the EU.”

In addition, the FUW was pleased to host the launch a new partnership ‘Llafur Cefn Gwlad – Labour Friends of Farming’ at its stand. The partnership between the Labour party and the Farmers’ Union of Wales, aims to stress the importance of backing the industry as the UK exits the European Union.  

“The FUW is delighted to be a part of this new partnership. It is essential that we all work together to get the backing for agriculture we desperately need once we make an exit from the EU and I hope that through this initiative we will get the message that #FarmingMatters across to key decision makers,” added Mr Roberts.