[caption id="attachment_5540" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Presenting the Bob Davies memorial award to former FUW director of PR - Peter Roberts - is FUW president Glyn Roberts.[/caption]

Farmers’ Union of Wales public relations director Peter Roberts, who retired from his post at the beginning of the year, received the FUW’s Bob Davies Memorial Award at yesterdays (Wednesday July 22) annual FUW Wednesday evening reception at the Royal Welsh Show. 

The award - in memory of Farmers Weekly Wales correspondent Bob Davies, of Welshpool, who died in November 2009 - is offered to a media personality who has raised the public profile of Welsh farming. 

Sixty-six-year-old Mr Roberts said: “Bearing in mind the calibre of those fellow media personalities that have already received this award, I am proud to follow in their footsteps. 

“But I also feel like a gamekeeper turned poacher as, since the award’s inception, I used to be part of the FUW group that decided who should receive it every year. 

“So I felt it was a bit nepotistic for me to be nominated this time but then I realised that I had covered the highs and lows of the farming industry for nearly 40 years before joining the FUW. 

“And now it thrills me to recall that when I was 15 I used to deliver the South Wales Evening Post around my home village of Ferryside and over half a century later I still edit the FUW’s monthly newspaper Y Tir/Welsh Farmer, which is printed and produced by the Post’s current publishers.” 

FUW president Glyn Roberts said: “On behalf of the FUW I would warmly like to thank Peter for his outstanding service to the FUW and Welsh agriculture, not only during his time with the union but also during his many years as a respected journalist. 

“We’ve flown the FUW flag in Germany, Greece and Brussels and Peter’s commitment and passion for Welsh agricultural news and his experience and knowledge have benefited the union greatly.” 

After leaving Carmarthen’s Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Mr Roberts joined the Carmarthen Journal as a trainee reporter and just over two years later he was appointed the Post’s Carmarthen district junior reporter. 

In September 1970 he became the Western Mail’s senior district reporter for Ceredigion, Montgomeryshire, Meirionnydd and Dwyfor and 14 years later the Cambrian News’ deputy editor. 

He was appointed Cambrian News editor in July 1991 and after seven years in that post left to set up his own editorial consultancy pr.news which he successfully ran until April 2002 when he became FUW’s press officer and Y Tir’s editor. 

He succeeded Alan Morris, now Hybu Cig Cymru - Meat Promotion Wales communications manager, as FUW’s PR director in December 2006.

[caption id="attachment_5537" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Presenting the final cheques worth £25,000 each to T? Hafan and T? Gobaith were former FUW president Emyr Jones and FUW president Glyn Roberts[/caption]

The Farmers’ Union of Wales has formally presented two children’s hospices with a cheque of £50,000 after its fundraising activities were brought to a close after two years, on the eve of the third day (Wednesday, July 22) of the Royal Welsh Show. 

Presenting the cheque to the charities was former FUW president Emyr Jones, who said: “As our fundraising commitment comes to a close, I am proud to announce that we have raised £50,000 for the president’s charitable cause, which will be split equally between the two hospices – T? Hafan and T? Gobaith - and there is still money coming in, which we will of course also donate to the causes. 

“Members of FUW staff and friends of the union have been relentless in their efforts to raise money for these two children’s hospices and have arranged some fantastic events such as an all Wales coast path walk, a Noson Lawen, copious breakfast functions, raffles, competitions including a Christmas card design competition for primary school children in Wales and have tackled the 3 highest peaks in Wales within 24 hours to boost our fundraising efforts. 

“Having visited the hospices myself, I cannot think of a more worthwhile cause to donate this money to and I wish the hospices all the very best of luck in the future.” 

T? Hafan’s head of business and community fundraising, Alison Stallard, was delighted with the £25,000 cheque for the Cardiff based hospice, and said: “We are absolutely thrilled with the fantastic amount that the FUW has tirelessly raised for T? Hafan.  

“This significant amount will make such a difference to children with short lives and their families from across Wales.  

“We need to raise around £10,000 each day to provide our services, both in the hospice and out in the community, so we can help life-limited children and their families make the most of the precious time they have left together.  

“We would like to say a massive thank you to the FUW for their unstinting support and are so pleased they were successful in once again reaching their ambitious fundraising target.” 

T? Gobaith’s fundraising manager Sarah Kearsley-Wooller, who accepted the £25,000 cheque on behalf of the Conwy based hospice, said: “We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of all members of the Farmers’ Union of Wales, their families and friends.    

“It is a tribute to the hard work and enthusiasm of so many that such a significant sum has been raised to support our two children’s hospices - T? Gobaith in Conwy and Hope House in Oswestry. 

“With their kindness we can build memories and make the most of every moment, as well as provide counselling and bereavement in the community. Without your help we simply could not exist.”

[caption id="attachment_5533" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] FUW president Glyn Roberts, FUW senior policy officer Dr Hazel Wright and NSA chief executive Phil Stocker continue their campaign to change TSE regulations[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5534" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] (l-R) FUW vice president Brian Bowen, secretary of state Elizabeth Truss, FUW deputy president Brian Thomas, FUW senior policy officer Dr Hazel Wright, FUW vice president Eifion Huws and FUW vice president Richard Vaughan discuss TSE regulation at this year’s Royal Welsh Show[/caption]

The Farmers’ Union of Wales has reiterated its frustration that current UK TSE regulation has led to a method of aging sheep, which costs the UK sheep sector around £25 million pounds per annum, during meetings with industry bodies and government at the Royal Welsh Show. 

European TSE regulations require the carcase of all sheep deemed to be over 12 months of age to be split and the spinal cord subsequently removed.  

In the UK, sheep are defined as 12 months of age following the eruption of the first permanent incisors. 

“Estimating age by means of dentition is imprecise and numerous peer reviewed publications have highlighted lengthy variability in the eruption of the permanent incisor teeth in sheep and factors such as breed, feeding regime and weight have previously been cited as affecting the accuracy of estimating age by dentition,” said FUW senior policy officer Dr Hazel Wright. 

The FUW would therefore welcome a change to the current interpretation from age determination via incisor eruption to a set calendar date of June 30. 

This date has been agreed by other relevant industry stakeholders, such as the National Sheep Association and represents a prudent way forward in the interpretation of TSE regulation. 

“In recent meetings with both deputy minister Rebecca Evans and secretary of state, Elizabeth Truss, we highlighted that one advantage of using a set calendar date of June 30, is that the industry has a clear and definite target for aging sheep, which allows producers to plan ahead and manage sheep accordingly. 

“We will continue our discussions to ensure moves are made towards changing the current TSE controls in order to facilitate controls which recognise the significant burden of complying with regulations which were inappropriately and hastily borne out of the BSE incident more than 20 years ago,” added Dr Wright.

[caption id="attachment_5529" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] "We need a scheme that recognises the importance of food production, encourages active and productive farmers and ensures succession within the industry" – Darren Williams[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5530" align="aligncenter" width="852"] Welcoming the EU agriculture commissioner Phil Hogan (left) were Darren and his wife Rachel Williams with their two children nine-year-old Rhys and four-year-old Teifi.[/caption]

The Farmers' Union of Wales has highlighted numerous concerns regarding the challenges facing Welsh agriculture during a farm visit with EU agriculture commissioner Phil Hogan. 

The visit, hosted by Darren and Rachel Williams, tenant farmers at Talwen Fawr, near Brecon, was the second meeting between the FUW and the commissioner during his two day visit to Wales. 

Speaking after the visit, Mr Williams, who is chairman of the FUW's younger voice for farming committee as well as vice chairman of the FUW's Brecon and Radnor county branch, said: "As a farming family with two young children on a 100 hectare tenanted farm, it was a great opportunity to meet the commissioner and highlight numerous concerns and challenges we face." 

Among the many issues raised with the commissioner were the current low farmgate prices for lamb and milk, the need to simplify the new CAP to reduce bureaucracy and unfair penalties, and the long term future of the CAP. 

"We are currently receiving £25 to £30 less for our lambs than we were last year and facing further severe cuts to payments, while the costs of bureaucracy and risks of unfair penalties are escalating." 

Mr Williams said, moves already instigated by the commissioner, which will reduce the burden of the new CAP regulations were welcome, but a great deal remained to be done to fulfil the EU's stated objective of reducing bureaucracy. 

"We therefore welcomed commissioner Hogan's commitment to continue to review areas of the regulations where changes can be made, and to make changes as soon as possible. 

"We try wherever possible to use technology to help the business become more efficient, with all our animal records kept on computer using cloud technology and mobile apps, and GPS installed on the tractor. 

"However, when the regulations with technology such as sheep EID require 100 percent accuracy and the system has an inherent fail rate of around 5 percent we still need tolerances. 

"Having time to allow the older generation to adapt and recognition of poor mobile phone and broadband availability is therefore essential." 

Mr Williams also highlighted the extreme complexity of the new Basic Payment Scheme rules, and showed the commissioner a first-hand an example of an area of grazed woodland which was excluded under the new scheme. 

"Wales has suffered severely as a result of the commission's decision to exclude grass growing between trees spaced at 10 metres or less from Basic Payment Scheme eligibility. 

"This is clearly nonsensical from an environmental point of view as well as being detrimental to farms where areas of woodland provide important shelter and grazing for animals." 

The commissioner heard how, despite a commitment by the previous administration to reduce bureaucracy, the reality was that Welsh government and farmers had been burdened with far more costs and red tape at a time when budgets were severely reduced. 

"Yet, against this background, small errors and subjective interpretations of measurements can bring harsh penalties," added Mr Williams. 

Mr Williams further said it was essential to start discussions on the next CAP as soon as possible. 

"Given the problems and delays in reaching agreement over the previous CAP there is a compelling argument in favour of having a rolling review aimed at simplifying the current rules, while also starting to discuss and plan what the next CAP should look like as soon as possible. 

"We need a scheme that recognises the importance of food production, encourages active and productive farmers and ensures succession within the industry," he added.