[caption id="attachment_6423" align="alignleft" width="300"] Putting the spotlight on the rural economy - We’re all in it together[/caption]

How many businesses are involved in the running of a farm and how many people are directly and indirectly employed by the agricultural sector? How reliant is the rural community really on farming? Those were the questions the Farmers’ Union of Wales asked recently.

We often think about the obvious options, such as feed merchants, sales and auctioneers businesses, farm contractors etc. but how much does just one farm really contribute?

To try and answer these questions Mid Wales farmers John Yeomans, his wife Sarah and son Joe, recently hosted an event that put the spotlight on the importance of agriculture in the rural economy, at their farm Llwyn y Brain, Adfa, near Newtown.

A survey of the businesses that the Yeomans family deal with revealed 2,347 jobs at local and Welsh level and also 225,980 at a wider national level were dependent on the survival of those businesses.

On the farm, the Yeomans family run a herd of 73 cows consisting of pedigree Limousin, Limousin x, Belgian Blue x, and 15 homebred replacement heifers (closed herd).

They further keep 495 ewes which are mainly Beulah and 160 Beulah ewe lambs and the flock has been closed since 1981.

The couple sell Beulah draft ewes and some yearlings, as well as Welsh Mule ewe lambs for breeding and sell finished lambs on a deadweight basis.

The 232 acres of owned farmland sit between 750 feet to 1420 above sea level, with 100 acres (34.8ha) of lower land and 132 acres (53.4ha) of largely improved hill land.  

A further 53 acres of additional land is rented.

John, who was keen to explore the wider economic impact his business has on the wider rural economy, said: "Following the downturn in agriculture over recent times and across almost all sectors, I wanted to help highlight the importance of a thriving agricultural sector on the economy - both locally and much further afield.

"Farmers are an exceptional conduit for money, so if their businesses are thriving they reinvest and this, in turn, brings wealth and good fortune to others.

"The difficult times we are facing are clearly already impacting on our ancillary and support industries and businesses.  

"With this in mind, we were pleased to put the spotlight on all the businesses - both local and further afield - that have some stake in our survival.  Our relationship with these businesses is symbiotic and crucial to both our successes.” 

[caption id="attachment_6421" align="alignright" width="300"] John Yeomans and his wife Sarah[/caption]

The event was attended by an array of local businesses and representatives such as Agri-Advisor, Agrimin, Bibby’s, Alpha Plumbers, FUW Insurance Services Ltd., E W Bumford & Co, RVW Pugh Ltd, I Jerman, Binding Tyre Services, Countrywide, Westflight, Morris Marshall and Poole, British Wool Marketing Board, Wynnstay, R G and G R Francis, McCartneys, OPICO, Sainsbury’s, Genus, KiwiKit, Dunbia, E George & Son, Dow AgroSciences, Trefaldwyn Vets, Zoetis, Shearwell Data and HSBC, who play a role in John and Sarah’s daily business routine.

Mr Yeomans said: "I must thank the businesses who came to support the event and those that responded to our short survey for the valuable contribution they make to our business and the wider rural economy.

“Supermarkets and slaughterhouses are just as important in our business as our local garage.

"Over 22 per cent of the employment in Wales is linked to farming or food in some way, so it is worth noting the important role we all play in keeping our economic powerhouse going.

"Individually we may not be making a fortune for our solicitor, bank, garage or anything else. But together we are an important force.

"We hope days like this will help to get the message across about the connection between British food and the many businesses connected to it, why it is worth supporting your local farmer and how much of a difference each individual can make in terms of giving back to the local economy.”

City Electrical Factors (CEF) are one of the businesses the Yeomans family trade with.  C.E.F. are a national Electrical Wholesaler supplying businesses the length and breadth of the UK.  

The Newtown and Welshpool branches sit in the heart of Mid-Wales and as such are two of the most rural branches in the C.E.F. network.

Across these two branches the company employs 11 staff, and nationally they employ about 2750 members of staff.

Darryl Owen, manager of the two branches, said: “I feel it’s very important to employ local people to serve local people. Many of my staff have strong links to the local agricultural and Farming community. For us, in such a rural area, any downturn in agriculture has a serious knock on effect to our business and turnover in Newtown and Welshpool.

“It is not just the direct effect from farming businesses but indirectly through the Electrical Contractors who serve this market sector. We service a very wide and diverse market sector which can all be affected by any downturn in the Farming community.

“Many small industries in Mid-Wales are reliant on a strong agricultural customer base. If these small business begin to struggle they stop spending and that’s a big issue for us.

“The on-going success of C.E.F. in Mid-Wales is undoubtedly linked to the success of our agricultural community. Any effort  or campaign that will highlight the importance of a healthy rural economy will definitely have my support."

RVW Pugh Ltd, an agricultural machinery dealership that specialise in the sales and aftersales of tractors and farm machinery to the agricultural  industry, have their head office in Mellington, Mid Wales.

They have 2 further depots in Holmes Chapel, Cheshire and Market Drayton, Shropshire.

The company employs 54 employees over the 3 depots, with 35 of them employed at the head office in Mellington.

Robert Pugh, Managing Director, said: “Agriculture is the backbone of our business, more than 95% of our customers are farmers/contractors. We are obviously feeling the knock on effect of farmers struggling with commodity and produce prices, along with late receipt of single farm payments… at the moment we are owed £1.5m from creditors which fall outside of our 30 day credit terms.

“This obviously puts pressure on our business and holds up cash flow which we could use to further improve and invest in our business during these difficult times.”

Glyn Roberts, FUW President, who attended the event, said : “All the businesses that make the wheel of our rural economy go round have an important role to play in our daily lives and indeed how we all survive and make a living.

“We know that a lot of second and third sector businesses are already struggling as a result of the knock on impact of low agricultural incomes and farmgate prices, and the potential wider impact if there was to be a further downturn in farm incomes could be catastrophic.

“We must remember that agriculture is the powerhouse of the rural economy, generates billions of pounds which benefit a host of industries including many not directly associated with agriculture -  something that is clear to see here - today-.

“The impact of the most recent recession on our economy as a whole has been severe, but there can be no doubt that in rural Britain and many of our urban areas the impact has been buffered by the core role agriculture has played in generating income for communities the length and breadth of the UK.

“With this in mind -  we as the Farmers’ Union of Wales - will continue to represent and fight for those who make a living off the land and through that, support those second and third sector industries- as we have done since 1955 - in Cardiff, London and Brussels.”

[caption id="attachment_6422" align="alignleft" width="300"] FUW Montgomeryshire County Chairman Mark Williams, John Yeomans and his wife Sarah, FUW Montgomeryshire County Executive Officer Emyr Wyn Davies.[/caption]

FUW Montgomeryshire County Chairman, Mark Williams, added: "We were keen to explore in more detail how our rural economic powerhouse is sustained by individual farm businesses.

"You’ve got your farm and the people who might be employed on it, whether that is family or external contractors, but it is also about the feed merchants, contractors, machinery dealers, local garages, supermarkets, farm shops, auctioneers, banks and solicitors– all of the businesses that are involved either in a direct or indirect capacity.

"The message going back to consumers across the UK has to be ‘Support your local farmer - Support a thriving rural economy’.”

[caption id="attachment_6418" align="alignleft" width="300"] They’re the milky kids - FUW Vice President Eifion Huws with Caergeiliog Foundation School pupils[/caption]

The Anglesey branch of the Farmers’ Union of Wales promoted the benefits of drinking milk to local school children, explaining also where milk comes from.

Visiting the school on Friday, May 27, ahead of the school holidays, FUW Vice President Eifion Huws explained to a group of 60 children how milk arrives on supermarket shelves and shops and also explained the running of a family farm and the work involved.

The children listened carefully to Eifion’s stories and laughed when they heard that he names his cows after his children and other family members - Anne, Eirian, Doris, Helen, Kitty, Ceinwen and Heddwen to name a few.

“It's very important that we as an industry go to schools to promote agriculture and educate the next generation about how their food is produced.

“Milk and dairy products have an important part to play in our daily diet as they provide an important source of protein and calcium and contain essential vitamins and minerals, all of which are needed for a balanced diet.

“Indeed, the exclusion of dairy products from the ‘sugar tax’ demonstrates the role such products play in a healthy diet.”

Speaking on World Milk Day (June 1), FUW Anglesey County Executive Heidi Williams, said: “It was a lovely afternoon at Caergeiliog Foundation School as we were able to convey to the children how milk was actually produced and how important it was in one’s diet.

“We also showed them the different products produced by milk such as yoghurts, custard, cheese and naturally, big smiles beamed when we showed the chocolate packet.”

At the end of the talk, the children were given the opportunity to ask questions and Mr Huws was inundated with children wanting to know about farming life.

[caption id="attachment_6414" align="alignleft" width="300"] Carmarthen AGM Discussion Panel (l-r): HCC Head of Operation Prys Morgan, FUW County Executive Officer David Waters, FUW President Glyn Roberts, FUW Carmarthen County Chairman Iwan Price Davies, Coleg Sir Gâr Landbased Studies lecturer Mary Richards and Edward Perkins of Rural Chartered Surveyors[/caption]

A panel of speakers discussed the Basic Payment, succession and red meat export development opportunities at an annual general meeting held by the Carmarthen branch of the Farmers’ Union of Wales.

The meeting, which was held at Llanarthne Village Hall on Thursday 26 May, welcomed FUW President Glyn Roberts, Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC) Head of Operation Prys Morgan, Coleg Sir Gâr Landbased Studies lecturer Mary Richards and Edward Perkins of Rural Chartered Surveyors to the discussion panel.

Discussing the 15% transfer from Pillar 1 to Pillar 2, FUW President Glyn Roberts explained to the audience that the decision under the current CAP was final and could not be revisited without a change to EU law, which was why the Union had been opposed to and fought against the proposal.

Providing an update on Hybu Cig Cymru’s market development progress, Prys Morgan, highlighted the difficulty in establishing new markets outside the EU, adding that HCC was marketing Welsh Lamb as a premium product.

Mr Morgan emphasised that HCC is making progress in establishing an export market to the USA but that the country’s TSA regulations were a major barrier.

The panel further discussed how to attract more young people into the industry. FUW’s Glyn Roberts said: “We have to make the industry attractive for our young people. But if we want the next generation to take over, then we also need to find somewhere for the older generation to go.

“It is our responsibility to do the best we can for those who want to get started in farming and for that the perception of the industry has to change. The last 2 years have been the hardest I have experienced since starting farming in 1977, but we have to be positive.

“There are plenty of opportunities and we do have a future. What vexes me is that we are one of the richest countries in the world but yet we can’ seem to sustain a profitable sector and there is something very wrong with that. As an union we will continue our efforts to educate governments and highlight the fact that young farmers are our future and the custodians of the countryside.”

Mary Richards, said that she was passionate about the topic of succession, stating: “We need to share and let go so that the younger generation can get a foothold in the industry. But there has to be a mentality shift and we need a cultural change to revamp agriculture.

“Council and start-up farms are vital in this and share farming has to be explored further here. Look at New Zealand and Ireland - it works very well for them.”

The panel further discussed the pro’s and con’s on EU membership and were mostly in agreement that Wales is stronger inside the single market.

Following the successful evening, FUW Carmarthen Executive Officer David Waters said: “ I thank the panel for their excellent contributions tonight and of course our members who attended the meeting.”

The Denbigh and Flint branches of the Farmers’ Union of Wales are holding a hog roast and Noson Lawen to boost funds for the Union’s charity - British Heart Foundation Cymru.

The event will take place on Saturday, June 25 at Maes Elwy Farm, Upper Denbigh Road, Trefnant and is due to commence at 7.30pm.

Tickets for the event are £12 per person and can be purchased from the FUW Ruthin office (01824 707 198).

Entertainment will be provided by the Elwy Singers, soloist Imogen Pardy and comedian George Gallagher.

FUW Flintshire County Chairman, Tim Faire, said: “We are very excited to once again join in the fight against heart disease and hope the event will not just raise money for BHF Cymru but also raise awareness of how much of a problem heart disease is across Wales and the whole of the UK.

“Heart and circulatory disease takes the lives of more than 400 people in the UK each day.

“The money that is raised goes to help fund life-transforming treatments, support pioneering research, and help care for people.

“Nearly all of us have been affected by this disease in some way or another.  Millions of adults and children which could be one of our friends or a family member might need help from the BHF in the future or has done in the past.

“We hope that those participating will have a cracking good time. So come and join us for the event - enjoy some good food and help us raise money to beat heart disease.”