[caption id="attachment_5878" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] (L-R) FUW vice president Eifion Huws, FUW president Glyn Roberts, Glyn Owen, FUW Anglesey deputy milk committee delegate Robert Pritchard, Mel Jones RABI, FUW Anglesey president Tom Jones, FUW Anglesey vice chairman Peter Williams and Rhun ap Iorwerth AM.[/caption]

The Anglesey branch of the Farmers’ Union of Wales recently met local AM Rhun Ap Iorwerth to discuss a variety of matters such as dropping milk prices, the current state of the agricultural industry and the impact of the new Basic Payment System.

The meeting was held at Graiglwyd Ganol, a 200 acre third-generation family owned dairy farm, now run by Glyn Owen, his wife Vanessa and their 3 children who have invested heavily in a new milking parlour and cubicles for their 120 strong dairy herd.

Their biggest worry, like that of so many others in the industry, is the constant uncertainty about farmgate prices, market volatility and how they can survive in the coming years in an industry that is looking far from prosperous.

“We are of course concerned how we will keep the farm running and provide a future for our children. Our eldest son Gwion has come home to farm after spending time in Glynllifon College studying agriculture and all this upheaval after we have heavily invested in the farm brings us plenty of sleepless nights. It is however not just our bank accounts that we are worried about – what we get paid or not has an immediate knock-on effect on so many other rural businesses and it is about time that those higher up recognise this,” said Glyn Owen.

Following the visit Rhun Ap Iorwerth said: “It’s becoming increasingly difficult for our farmers to make a living from putting food on our table.

“Despite having recently invested in a new milking parlour, this family farm is under an enormous strain. They will survive due to sheer hard work and determination, and will hopefully reap the benefits when the industry starts to pick up, but it’s vital for our farmers to have continued support of their unions and charities such as R.A.B.I as we try to work towards improving the situation.”

FUW Anglesey county executive officer Heidi Williams said: “It was good to meet on site with Rhun Ap Iorwerth to highlight the problems faced by dairy farmers such as Glyn. We further had the opportunity to highlight how low farmgate prices affected the wider rural community and explain the wider importance of agriculture to Wales’ economy as a whole. There is a great deal more than just farm incomes riding on the release of for example the single farm payment and the long-term prosperity of our industry, and there is a great need for political recognition across the board.”

Please note that due to severe weather warnings issued for Saturday 14 November, the planned charity walk around the Hafod Estate has been cancelled.

We will re-arrange the event in aid of British Heart Foundation Cymru in the future.

Farmers are today reminded by the Farmers’ Union of Wales to be pitfall savvy when it comes to Glastir Entry and Glastir Advanced contracts to avoid financial penalties.

“It is important that farmers fully understand the obligations within their Glastir contracts as even a minor breach can result in a hefty/significant penalty,” said FUW land use policy officer Bernard Griffiths.

The union is therefore advising its members to regularly review their contracts to ensure that they are meeting the requirements.  The most common pitfalls to avoid are capital works not being fully completed within the time limit or to the correct standard; no activity or stocking diary kept and/or information being inaccurately recorded; sward height not achieved; damage to habitat land; rubbish not removed from the farm; non-completion of arable options; stocking levels or stock exclusion requirements not being met; inappropriate supplementary feeding on habitat land and not meeting hedge cutting requirements.

“Apart from being penalised financially it is also worth bearing in mind that if the number of breaches found at inspection continues to increase, then the Welsh Government are required to increase the number of inspections it must carry out as dictated by the European Commission – which of course will increase the chance of farms being selected for inspection,” added Mr Griffiths.

The FUW is further advising its members who are unsure of their contractual obligations to contact their local county office for further advice or the Rural Payments Wales Customer Contact centre on 0300 062 5004.

The Farmers’ Union of Wales has asked the Welsh Government to reconsider its decision to limit it’s “Gwlad” magazine to ‘online only’ from April 2016, highlighting the poor availability of broadband in rural areas and adverse repercussions for farmers and government as reasons why the service should continue.

An article entitled “Gwlad goes digital” in the latest edition of the magazine has alerted large numbers to the fact that the March/April 2016 edition of the magazine will be the last to be issued as a hard copy, after which many farmers will no longer be able to receive or access important news, including updates on regulatory changes, in their households or business premises.

“The decision to abandon the hard copy of Gwlad is extremely concerning given that the majority of Gwlad articles relate to regulatory issues, including changes to or the introduction of new rules,” said FUW president Glyn Roberts.

Mr Roberts has therefore written to deputy minister for agriculture and food Rebecca Evans to highlight the FUW’s concerns regarding the announcement, highlighting the essential role the publication plays in keeping farmers abreast of changes, and that access to broadband is still well below the national average in Wales’ rural areas.

“Like the vast majority of other members of the general public, farmers are far more likely to take notice of important information when it is presented in an easily accessible format, as is currently the case.

“It is frustrating enough for farmers that the rules and regulations are so complex and change so often. The prospect of being penalised for breaking rules which have not even been notified to us makes matters worse,” added Mr Roberts.

Mr Roberts’ letter concludes that: “When it comes to the regular communication of important messages through Gwlad we would ask the deputy minister to reconsider her decision to move to an online-only service, bearing in mind the limited extent of broadband access in many of Wales’ rural communities, the fact that such important messages are best communicated in the current format, and the potential impact for farmers and Government of failing to communicate important messages.”