[caption id="attachment_5932" align="aligncenter" width="169"] FUW president Glyn Roberts at the manifesto launch.[/caption]

The Farmers’ Union of Wales has outlined those issues which should be priorities for Assembly Members and the Welsh Government after next May’s election in its manifesto, launched today (November 30) at the Royal Welsh Winter Fair.

Speaking during the launch, FUW president Glyn Roberts said that while the manifesto deals with areas as diverse as the RDP, animal health, red tape and renewable energy, all were of direct relevance to Wales’ economy, and in particular the economy of the rural areas where almost 35 percent of Welsh residents live.

“Where better to illustrate this than here at the Royal Welsh Winter Fair,” said Glyn Roberts, who highlighted the fact that hundreds of the tradestands at the Winter Fair represented businesses which are partly or solely reliant on agriculture, some of which employed hundreds of people.

“For every business here today at the Winter Fair, which are reliant on agriculture, there are hundreds of others not present - from the village shop to the local garage, from the agricultural contractor to the local builder, all are dependent to some extent on agriculture.”

Glyn Roberts warned that withdrawal from the EU represented a major threat to such businesses and Wales’ economy as a whole, and that far more needed to be done by the next Welsh Government, to quantify the potential impacts of a withdrawal from the EU, or the further watering down of the CAP.

“Frustrated as we all are with the EU’s many shortcomings, the FUW believes that exit from the EU would cause economic collapse for agriculture and our rural economies on a scale not seen for generations.

“People voting for or against EU membership, or advocating the abolition or watering down of the CAP, need to know in detail what the likely consequences of what they advocate will be,” said Glyn Roberts.

A key demand of the FUW’s manifesto is that detailed work should be undertaken early on by the next Welsh Government to quantify such impacts - not only to inform lobbying positions ahead of a vote on EU membership, but also contingency plans, should such an exit become inevitable.

"Given the pressures from some to water down the CAP even if we remain in the EU, and the appetite for costly bureaucracy, such work is essential in terms of ensuring Assembly Members and the Welsh Government are well-informed and lobby at every level for what is best for Wales, rather than passively accepting policies which we believe would be devastating for our country,” he added.

FUW 2016 Election Manifesto

The announcement by deputy minister for farming and food Rebecca Evans AM that, BPS part-payments of approximately eighty percent will only be made to around 50 percent of farmers by the end of this week, has been described as disappointing but expected by the Farmers’ Union of Wales.

The minister, who spoke at the Hybu Cig Cymru - Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) Royal Welsh Winter Fair breakfast, further said that the vast majority of remaining part-payments will be made as early as possible in the New Year. The balance, or final 20 percent, payment will be made to farmers next April, although a minority of payments - probate cases for example - will take longer.

The FUW acknowledged that warnings have been made in the press repeatedly since June that a delay was likely for many and that part payments would be made.

Farmers will remember the extremely complicated process of completing the Basic Payment Forms coupled with more EU regulations of the requirement of sketch maps – struggles that FUW members of staff have experienced first-hand when helping members fill out their BPS forms.

It has inevitably led to a delay in the processing of forms which is extremely frustrating. As such most of the blame for delays lies with the new European Regulations – not the Welsh Government who have to abide by those regulations.

“Farmers will obviously be extremely frustrated, especially those who have seen a very difficult year and need this cash injection to the farm business now more than ever,” said FUW president Glyn Roberts.

“Nobody wants to have to rely so heavily on these payments but most of the money arriving in the farm account through the BPS will be going straight out to secondary and tertiary businesses.

“That’s why the FUW is calling on the Welsh Government in its manifesto, which will be launched later today to instigate detailed research into Wales’ rural and wider economy and agriculture’s place within it.

“Hundreds of businesses are solely reliant on Welsh agriculture. Look at all the traders and business’s exhibiting at the Fair today. Any delay in the payment of the single farm payment will have a direct impact on these business’s and their employees,” added Glyn Roberts.

However, rather than calling the RPW helpline, which could delay the processing of payments even further, the FUW urges members to respond to any outstanding Welsh Government queries or issues as soon as possible.

The Farmers’ Union of Wales is looking forward to what promises to be an exciting and busy Royal Welsh Winter Fair, with the launch of the FUW election manifesto, free farm business advice, a farm security advice service and the Christmas card design competition winner announcement all happening at the union’s stand.

Farmers looking for advice on issues such as BPS, renewable energy, pylons, tenancy rights, compulsory purchase and rural property issues should visit the FUW stand, which is located in Livestock Hall 1, to book an appointment for a free 40 minute slot with Agri-Advisor agricultural solicitors, Davis Meade Property Consultants and Land Agents and LHP accountants, auditors and business advisors.

“If things are tough or worrying our members, we don’t want them to bury their heads in the sand. I would urge any farmer worried about issues that could impact the farm to take advantage of the free appointments available at our Royal Welsh Winter Fair farm surgeries. Continuing uncertainty about the single farm payment, coupled with unpredictable meat and milk market prices, means that planning for the forthcoming year is essential and could help avoid future problems or penalties,” said FUW marketing and membership manager Caryl Gruffydd Roberts.

The FUW will also be launching its election manifesto at the stand on Monday of the show at 2pm.

“While some politicians and civil servants perceive that it is only farmers who, during the course of the Winter Fair, will be discussing low incomes, cash-flow problems and the possible date on which much-needed Basic Payments will be released, it couldn’t be further from the truth,” said FUW president Glyn Roberts ahead of the Winter Fair.

A walk around the showground and a few chats with some of those running the hundreds of trade stands should quickly set the record straight when it comes to the wider importance of agriculture to Wales’ economy as a whole, and in particular the central role it plays in our rural economies.

“Put simply, there is a great deal more than just farm incomes riding on the release of payments and it is the need for political recognition of this that will be the focus of the FUW’s 2016 election manifesto,” added Glyn Roberts.

On a domestic level, numerous rules currently being consulted upon and discussed in Cardiff Bay have the potential to reduce farm incomes, while at the other end of the spectrum our exit from the European Union would change agriculture beyond recognition – but not just agriculture: our rural economies and communities as a whole.

Glyn Roberts further added that despite this being apparent to many of us, the lack of data on the contribution of agriculture to Wales’ rural economies is lamentable, meaning politicians who advocate or accept unquestioningly changes which impact on agriculture do so without any real understanding of the wider impacts of such changes.

This is why the FUW’s manifesto calls for detailed work which will identify the full impacts of changes, so that those who advocate them know exactly what they are calling for, and contingency plans are drawn up for eventualities which may be beyond our control – such as our exit from the Common Market and the EU.

Monday November 30 at 12.30pm will also see the announcement of the winner of the FUW annual Christmas card design competition and the union is excited to be selling the cards in aid of British Heart Foundation Cymru, who will also be at the stand from 9.30am to 12 noon of both show days.

[caption id="attachment_5917" align="aligncenter" width="300"] (l-r) FUW president Glyn Roberts, FUW Montgomeryshire county chairman Mark Williams, FUW deputy county chairman Alwyn Vaughan, Brian Jones, FUW member Rob Corfield, Kay Swinburne MEP, FUW vice president Eifion Huws, FUW milk and dairy produce committee chairman Rhydian Owen and FUW senior policy officer Dr Hazel Wright.[/caption]

The Farmers’ Union of Wales has met with Conservative MEP Kay Swinburne to discuss the problems currently faced by Welsh dairy producers in a bid to send a strong message straight to Brussels. 

The meeting was held at FUW member Brian K Jones’s farm at Cefncoed Farms, Coed y Parc, Caersws, Newtown, who runs a 210 acre dairy farm with his wife Susan and son Andrew. 

The couple have recently had their milk supply contract cancelled and were keen to drive a strong message straight to Brussels about the dire situation many Welsh family run dairy farmers find themselves in.  

Brian, who sits on the FUW milk and dairy produce committee as the Montgomeryshire delegate, said: “The current situation faced by many Welsh dairy farmers is unacceptable and further action needs to be taken to address the problems facing family farms which are under real threat.” 

He also took the opportunity to highlight the difficulties facing farmers such as himself whose contracts had been cancelled by Meadow Foods. 

“Meadow Foods told the Farmers Weekly last week (November 20) that the company has ‘no plans to tear up contracts’, but that’s exactly what they have done to a number of us in this area.”

Brian said he and others in the area were written to in June. The letter stated. 

“…Meadow Foods has been reviewing all areas of our operation to identify where costs can be reduced and milk price improved. A key area of this review has been milk transport costs. We have identified a small number of producers who are located in outlying areas and therefore have a significant increased cost to collect; unfortunately your farm sits within this group. We have looked at various ways of reducing these costs to no success. Therefore, with regret, we have taken the decision to hereby serve you notice on your milk supply contract with Meadow Foods...” 

“Because I am a tenant farmer, losing this contract at a time when nobody is taking on new producers means that we are now looking at losing the roof over our heads.  

“It also means that my son, who works on the farm, will lose his job and his livelihood. If this continues there will be real problems for the industry.” 

FUW vice president Eifion Huws, said: “These are very uncertain times for the dairy industry and this year we have experienced market volatility like we haven’t seen in a long time.

“Not only are our farmers struggling with low milk prices, which are notably below the cost of production, they are now also being forced out of the industry because companies like Meadow Foods can’t find a way of collecting milk.” 

FUW milk and dairy produce committee chairman Rhydian Owen said: “We are thankful to Kay Swinburne for taking the time to hear the FUW’s concerns and the particular issues affecting tenanted family farms such as Coed y Parc.”