The Farmers’ Union of Wales has backed the gradual introduction of ‘top-up’ payments on the first 54-hectares in its response to the Welsh Government’s consultation on Wales’ Basic Payment Scheme. 

The option, referred to in the EU regulations as ‘redistributive payments’, would mean moving from the current historically based model towards estimated payments of €243 for the first 54-hectares of eligible land and €124 for all remaining eligible land by 2019. 

FUW president Glyn Roberts said: “The majority of our twelve county executive committees supported the phased introduction of a 54-hectare top-up model paid at the maximum rate allowed within the regulations, while the remainder of committees failed to reach consensus. 

“The majority view was that a top-up model is believed to be the only realistic option at this stage, which goes some way towards reducing disruption for the industry as a whole, an overriding policy goal agreed by Welsh Government and stakeholders many years ago.” 

The 54-hectare top-up would benefit those with around 125-hectares (300 acres) or less of eligible land around when compared with a uniform 2019 flat rate of around €176, reducing financial losses for around 70 percent of claimants. In particular the approach would help mitigate losses for those sectors likely to be worst hit by the implementation of a uniform flat rate payment model.

However, Mr Roberts acknowledged that the union’s support for the option would not be popular with all. 

“We have a democratically established mandate to support the implementation of this option, but it’s estimated that around 33 percent of recipients would be better off under a flat rate system, while for a large number such a system will merely reduce the losses they would experience under any system,” added Mr Roberts. 

Mr Roberts said there was widespread frustration among members that the maps held by Welsh Government are now not believed to be sufficiently accurate to implement a regional payment model which would allow higher payments to be made on better quality land. 

“All the work done to date shows that the best way to minimise disruption is to have a regional payment model with higher payments on better quality land and we therefore remain frustrated that our calls to start such work were not heeded until the eleventh hour. 

“We have therefore called on Welsh Government to start mapping work at the earliest opportunity in order to prepare for and inform the next CAP and any mid-term review.”  

However, Mr Roberts said that all the work undertaken to date, including the FUW’s own pioneering modelling work in 2009, shows large shifts in finding between individuals, regions and sectors, irrespective of which payment model is implemented. 

“Under current circumstances any losses will be exacerbated by a 10 percent fall in Wales’ Pillar 1 budget and the transfer of 15 percent of the budget to pillar 2, with the Euro exchange rate adding to uncertainty. 

“These are things we cannot influence so we must ensure that our rural development programme focusses on helping those who are set to lose most under the payment system adopted in Wales,” he added.

[caption id="attachment_5396" align="aligncenter" width="300"] SILVER SALVER: Sulwyn Thomas and Nick Somerfield (right) receive their awards in 2005 from FUW president Gareth Vaughan.[/caption]

Former chairman and president of the FUW’s Carmarthenshire county branch Nick Somerfield, who was made a life member in 2011, has sadly passed away.

Seventy-eight-year-old Nicholas John Somerfield, or Nick as he was known to everyone, was brought up in Send, near Woking in Surrey.

A naval engineer during National Service, he gained promotion during operations in the Suez campaign and was offered a commission but, determined to follow his passion for farming, declined to take up the Surrey Scholarship he had been awarded and studied agriculture at Writtle in Essex.

Whilst a student he worked on the Guinness Estates for Lord Iveagh and on graduation he acquired a managerial post in Hampshire, where the 1,000-acre unit supported arable, livestock and hop-growing enterprises.

Following marriage to Kyra, the decision was made to realise the ambition of his own farm.  The move was made in 1963 to the contrasting location of Crug-las in the Brecon Beacons where hill livestock became the required option on the 220-acre hill unit.

Nick and his wife kept hardy Welsh mountain sheep and an equally tough suckler herd of Gelbvieh and Welsh Black  cows, as well as a small pedigree herd of British Toggenburg dairy goats.

The herd of dairy goats is one of the longest established in Wales from which stock has been exported worldwide during the past 30 years, many being sent to establish agricultural aid herds in Africa. Kyra has twice travelled throughout Ethiopia to evaluate these projects. 

Nick always joined in co-ordinating the collection of Welsh supplied stock and in promoting the work of FARM-Africa in support of the rural poor of that continent.

An FUW member for half a century, he was notably the first English person ever to have been given life membership of the union.

Chairman and member of the FUW parliamentary and land use committee for 22 years, Nick actively campaigned for the needs of smaller Welsh family farms, believing that socially, economically and environmentally they are the backbone of rural survival and essential for the Principality.

A National Park Forum, Wales Biodiversity Action Group and CCW liaison member he had also served for six years as an EPAC (Environmental Protection Action Committee) appointee.

He felt greatly honoured when, in 2005, he was awarded the FUW Silver Salver in recognition of his service to the union and to the agricultural industry in Wales.

Speaking about Mr Somerfield, FUW vice president Brian Walters said: "Nick was a person who could enter into debate with any politician or civil servant and do it in a pleasant way with strong argument and on a variety of topics.

“He was very good at handling consultation documents and dissecting them with the help of his lovely wife, Kyra. 

“He has always been a loyal member of the FUW at county and national level and I am sure he will be missed by the members, family and friends," added Mr Walters.

Exclusive tickets for a prime viewing location on the Farmers’ Union of Wales’ pavilion balcony alongside the main ring at Llanelwedd will be sold in a bid to raise final funds for children’s hospice charities T? Hafan and T? Gobaith on the Wednesday afternoon of the Royal Welsh Show.

FUW president Glyn Roberts said: “We are offering 12 people an exclusive chance to enjoy some Pimms and strawberries on the balcony on Wednesday July 22 between 2.30pm and 5pm to watch the Senior Welsh Cob Stallions, which is generally the highlight of the main ring events during the show.

“Tickets for this exclusive occasion can be purchased on a first-come first-served basis at from our head office in Aberystwyth and will cost £30 a ticket. There is also an opportunity to win two additional tickets to the event as part of a raffle prize during the Royal Welsh Show week. All proceeds raised will go towards our charities T? Hafan and T? Gobaith.”

“We announced our charitable causes at the Royal Welsh Show in 2013 and have since then held a myriad of events including an all Wales coast path walk, farmhouse breakfast functions, a Thanksgiving Gymanfa Gynu, Christmas card design competitions, wooden horse races, bingo evenings and most recently a very successful Noson Lawen. This function is the final push to raise some more money for these two very deserving hospices,” added Mr Roberts.

Cardiff-based T? Hafan and Oswestry-based Hope House Children’s Hospices which includes T? Gobaith at Conwy will share the proceeds of the fund and will be presented with the final cheque on Wednesday July 22 at the Royal Welsh Show.

“Back in 2013 we were hopeful that by the end of the next fundraising term the total amount raised by our members and supporters will be at least as much as the £50,000 handed over to the union’s last beneficiary Cancer Research Wales. It gives me immense pleasure to see that we have once again achieved our target,” added Mr Roberts.

For more information about the union’s fundraising activities please contact the FUW press office on 01970 820820.

[caption id="attachment_5375" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] New team at the helm (l-r) Brian Walters, Richard Vaughan, Brian Thomas, Eifion Huws, Glyn Roberts, Dewi Owen and Brian Bowen[/caption]

Following the election of Mr Glyn Roberts as president of the Farmers’ Union of Wales during the union’s annual general meeting on Monday (June 15), the rest of the influential finance and organisation committee members were revealed today.

Mr Roberts’s deputy will be Pembrokeshire beef and sheep farmer Brian Thomas, who is a past county chairman of the FUW in Pembrokeshire, and has previously sat on the FUW’s central tenant’s committee.

Brian was elected South Wales member of the central finance and organisation committee in 2011 and elected vice president of the FUW in 2013.

Speaking after his appointment, Brian Thomas said: “I would like to thank those who have voted for me to be the next deputy president of the union. It has been a pleasure to work alongside our former president Emyr Jones and I now look forward to working with our newly elected president Glyn Roberts.”

Mr Thomas runs a herd of pedigree beef shorthorn cattle and a sheep flock of 300 ewes as well as growing 80 acres of cereals on his 280-acre farm, Llwyncelyn Lan, Llanfyrnach. 

During the 1996 BSE outbreak, Mr Thomas lead the campaign in South West Wales opposing the importation of inferior beef into Wales.  In 1997 he led a group of 10 farmers to Tesco’s stand at the Royal Welsh Show to address them about the unfair way in which they were treating the industry.

Bovine TB is a subject which Brian is passionate about.  When his herd went down with the disease in the late 1990’s he commented in interviews that the disease would be more of a problem than BSE would ever be if it was not tackled.  Unfortunately, for many he has been proved right and currently he sits on the local working group for the Assembly’s Bovine TB Intensive Action Area in North Pembrokeshire, representing farmers in the area.

Carmarthenshire dairy farmer Brian Walters was re-elected one of the three vice presidents with Anglesey dairy farmers Eifion Huws and sheep farmer Richard Vaughan, of Tywyn, Meirionnydd, the other two.

Brian Walters, farms a 500-acre holding, with his wife Ann and sons Aled and Seimon, near Carmarthen. They have a dairy herd of 150 cows – some of which are pedigree Ayrshires – with 200 followers and 80 beef cattle.  They also run a self-catering farmhouse holiday unit and take pride in educating the occupants on the problems and joys of farming.

Mr Vaughan who runs a flock of 750 Welsh Mountain Sheep and approximately 30 store cattle farms at Pall Mall Farm, north of Tywyn, one of two holdings, totalling 550 acres. Most of the land is at Pant y Panel and Prysglwyd at Rhydymain, near Dolgellau.

Pall Mall Farm has been successfully diversified over the last forty years.  Outbuildings have been converted, two chalets built, and a caravan site established which, by today, has over 100 units.  He has also developed a successful business purchasing and renovating houses in Aberystwyth to be let out as flats and bed-sits.  Richard sees this as an important part of the business which brings in valuable extra income without taking him away too often from his farming activities.

He has been a keen and active supporter of the Farmers’ Union of Wales for many years and served as FUW Meirioneth county chairman between 2007-2009 and chairman of the union’s land use and parliamentary committee from 2006 to 2011.  Richard was North Wales member of the union’s central finance and organisation committee from 2010 before being elected vice president in June 2011. 

Mr Huws has been an active member of the finance and organisation committee for the past five years. He farms at Penrhos, Bodedern, a dairy farm with a 140-head pedigree Ayrshire herd which has an outstanding production and show record.

Mr Huws, a highly respected Ayrshire cattle judge, travels the length and breadth of the country, and in Europe, representing the dairy industry in the hope of acquiring better conditions and prices for farmers.

Mr Brian Bowen has been re-elected as South Wales member and Mr Dewi Owen joins the finance and organisation committee as its North Wales member.

Mr Bowen who served as FUW Brecon and Radnor vice chairman from 2008 was elected as its county chairman in 2010. He has been the Brecon and Radnor delegate on the FUW livestock, wool and marts committee since 2009 and currently serves as its vice chairman.

Mr Bowen farms at Pencoedcae Farm, Princetown, near Tredegar, where he runs a mixed suckler cow and hill sheep unit. The farm consists of 150 acres of owned land with a further 1000 rented acres and 1200 acres of common rights on three separate commons.  He runs the farm, along with his father, mother and son.

Brian is also chairman of Llangynider Common Association and chair of the Glastir Committee for Llangynider Common Association. He is an executive member of Buckland Manor Common and Gelligaer and Merthyr commons associations, as well as being past director on the board of the Hay and Brecon Farmers Co-op.

“I was very pleased that Brecon and Radnor proposed me as a candidate for the election to the central finance and organisation committee as I believe that it is up to my generation to ensure that family farming in Wales continues and is attractive to the younger generation.

“Having served one year as South Wales member on the finance and organisation committee already I look forward to contributing effectively to the union’s work, and I am pleased to continue in this key role to see through the challenges and major changes which lie ahead,” added Mr Bowen.

Mr Dewi Owen of Esgairgyfela, Aberdyfi, was born and raised on the family - an upland farm which keeps sheep and cattle.

He has been an active member of the FUW for approximately forty years and has served as FUW Meirionnydd county chairman as well as county president in the past.

Mr Owen owns a butcher shop in the village of Aberdyfi, which is run in conjunction with his son-in-law who is a qualified butcher. 

“I believe that the FUW is a strong voice for farmers in Wales and I thank those who have voted for me to join the finance and organisation committee as its North Wales member.  During my years with the union I have been a member of several committees and I look forward to representing the views of our members,” said Mr Owen.