THE Farmers’ Union of Wales has called on natural resources and food minister Alun Davies to honour his commitment to make Welsh farms more efficient - by reducing regulatory burdens which add to costs and reduce profitability.

In a letter to the minister, FUW president Emyr Jones listed 21 changes to Welsh Government policies which should be implemented to improve farm efficiency and profitability. He also called for the changes to be included in a Farmers’ Charter of the kind issued in the Republic of Ireland.

The call comes after Mr Davies, in a Farmers Guardian article on March 14, accused the Welsh farming unions of lacking leadership, arguing for the “status quo” and “taking their cue from the loudmouth at the back of the room”.

He also claimed they were the biggest barrier to his vision of revolutionising Welsh agriculture through CAP reform and creating a more efficient industry which had shed its “dependency” on subsidy.

In a response published alongside Mr Davies' comments, FUW director of agricultural policy Nick Fenwick stated: “The FUW’s views are established by a democratic process, and when the minister says we have no leadership what he means is he would like our views to be dictated by a minority which shares his views.

“That is not going to happen: we will remain a democratic organisation and will continue to lobby, complement, criticise, or correct in line with our members’ views. We will not give in to bullying, and believe the industry would be better served if the minister respected a majority which holds different views to him.”

President Emyr Jones’ letter states: “I do not believe your comments published in Farmers Guardian regarding the farming unions merit any response from the FUW over and above what we have already said.

“However, control over many of the areas where savings could be made and profitability enhanced lies not with farm businesses, but with Government, and, given your public commitment to making Welsh farms more profitable. I believe there is now an opportunity for you to demonstrate that commitment by reducing those regulatory burdens.

“Moreover, far from arguing for the ‘status quo’, as you claim, the FUW has been vociferous over many years in calling for changes which are within the Welsh Government’s gift which would improve the efficiency of Welsh farm businesses.”

[caption id="attachment_2810" align="aligncenter" width="640"] FUW president Emyr Jones and natural resources and food minister Alun Davies[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2811" align="aligncenter" width="640"] FUW director of agricultural policy Nick Fenwick[/caption]

WE believe that the Welsh Government should honour its latest commitment to making Welsh farm businesses more efficient and profitable by:

• Introducing practical Quarantine Units over the coming 12 months, and ahead of any changes to the County Parish Holding (CPH) system and its associated rules, in order to allow farmers to better access markets and circumvent the six-day standstill rule without compromising animal health. This would avoid the problems inherent in the current proposals, which Gareth Williams’ Working Smarter report states “…would not be an acceptable solution”
• Reviewing the six-day standstill rule at the earliest possible opportunity, with a view to abolishing it, as has been proposed in England
• Ensuring changes to the CPH system and Sole Occupancy Authority (SOA) rules are accompanied by measures which reduce costs and bureaucracy for all farmers, including those relating to TB testing
• Ensuring that the introduction of EID Cymru and any associated changes to the rules on sheep tagging do not add to input costs for farmers, either through addition administration, tag costs, or risks of penalties due to technological failures
• Extending the hedge-cutting dates in Wales in order to address health and safety, Cross Compliance and economic impacts for Welsh farms
• Altering the relevant Welsh legislation in order to allow a general derogation to cut hedges outside the hedge-cutting dates where weather conditions have made accessing fields dangerous, impractical or illegal
• Reducing the significant burden associated with farm record-keeping, particularly those for the Glastir scheme, which far outweigh requirements under previous agri-environment schemes
• Reducing production costs for cattle farmers by abandoning pre-movement TB testing, as was done in 1996 in the Republic of Ireland which, since 2000, has experienced a 50% reduction in the number of TB reactors
• Reinstating the plans to remove badgers in the Intensive Action Area, in line with the view of the Bovine Tuberculosis Subgroup of the EU Task Force for Monitoring Animal Disease Eradication which concluded in 2012 that “The Welsh eradication plan will lose some impetus as badger culling will now be replaced with badger vaccination…There is no scientific evidence to demonstrate that badger vaccination will reduce the incidence of TB in cattle. However, there is considerable evidence to support the removal of badgers in order to improve the TB status of both badgers and cattle…UK politicians must accept their responsibility to their own farmers and taxpayers as well as to the rest of the EU and commit to a long-term strategy that is not dependent on elections”
• Ensuring all farmers are able to make maximum use of their pasture and that Environmental Impact Assessments are assessed proportionately and in a way which takes account of farm efficiency - particularly where land has degenerated due to participation in agri-environment schemes
• Increasing the period farmers have to report cattle movements from three to seven days, thereby bringing Wales in line with the EU requirement and reducing unfair penalties for farmers
• Ensuring that Cross Compliance and other requirements introduced under the post 2014 CAP regime are kept at the minimum level required by the EU, and that the penalty matrix ensures proportionality in all circumstances
• Securing changes to planning guidance which minimise restrictions on the ability of farms to secure succession, diversify, and make efficiency improvements
• Guaranteeing that all farmers have access to meaningful Rural Development funding which is guaranteed to improve the efficiency of their farm businesses
• Ensure that Glastir does not place undue restrictions on farm practices which reduce the efficiency of farms
• Recognising the essential role that grazing animals and hefted flocks play in terms of maintaining Wales’ environment, particularly in Wales’ uplands, and ensuring all Glastir grazing proscriptions are appropriate and reflect the need to feed displaced livestock during the winter months
• Ensuring that Wales’ primary producers are placed at the heart of the Welsh Government’s food and drink action plan.
• Focussing Rural Development funding on meaningful measures, such as grants, which guarantee improved efficiency and profitability, as opposed to those consultancy services regarded by the industry as wasteful and ineffective, with a balanced emphasis on Young Entrants
• Ensuring that, within the context of the Access Green Paper, any presumption towards a statutory increase in unfettered access to farm land or water bodies is not adopted, due to the severe implications for farms and rural businesses in Wales
• Ensuring that Wales’ Rural Development Plan delivers improved incomes for farmers which place them on an even playing field with those competitors in regions which will receive higher levels of funding from CAP measures, with a view to making necessary changes at the earliest possible opportunity should it be shown that current plans are having a detrimental impact on Welsh production and farm incomes
• Fully implementing the recommendations contained in the Upland Forum’s 2012 Unlocking the Potential of the Uplands report
• Establish a Farmers’ Charter which provides commitments to the industry in relation to all the above, and all other areas where the Welsh Government can assist farmers in making their businesses more efficient and profitable.

Flanker Dan Lydiate underlined the valuable contribution farming makes to Welsh international rugby by being named Six Nations player of the tournament after playing a major part in Wales's 2012 Grand Slam triumph.

Dan, 23, is known for having used his family’s farm at Abbeycwmhir, near Llandrindod Wells, as his unofficial training ground but he is not the only current Welsh rugby international with strong farming links.

Another contender for the player of the tournament accolade, Mike Phillips, was brought up on his family's farm, Parc yr Abbot, St Clears, near Carmarthen, now run by his brother and Farmers' Union of Wales member Mark.

And there are two other players further north now making their name in Welsh rugby's top tiers and FUW president Emyr Jones has just visited them at their home farms in Meirionnydd.

They are 20-year-old Scarlets prop Rhodri Jones, named in the senior Wales training squad for the match versus Australia last December, and 26-year-old Elen Evans, who has played for the Wales women's team 39 times since making her debut against Italy in 2004.

Rhodri and Elen's parents are also staunch FUW members. His mother and father Trevor and Mair Jones farm at Gwerniago, Pennal, near Machynlleth, while her parents Aled and Catherine Evans run Ty'n Celyn farm less than 20 miles away at Dinas Mawddwy.

Rhodri is one of four players from north and midWalesmaking a name for themselves at the Scarlets. The others are Andy Fenby (Llandudno), Rob McCusker (Wrexham) and, of course, try-scoring Welsh winger George North (Anglesey).

Rhodri went to college with George in Llandovery and they are good team-mates at Parc y Scarlets. They even share a flat together.

Wales assistant coach (forwards), Anglesey-born Robin McBryde, has described Rhodri as an impressive youngster who can play on both sides of the scrum and is definitely one for the future in terms of planning towards the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

Ex-Welsh hooker McBryde, who coached Rhodri during his time on the Scarlets staff last season, added: "He is developing well and is a physical specimen who has all the attributes and the values that you need to succeed at this level."

Standing 6ft 3in tall and weighing in at just over 18st, you can't argue with that.

Dolgellau women's rugby team stalwart Elen made a huge impact on her return to the international stage from injury by scoring a fine try as the Wales’ women’s team ensured a hat-trick of victories over Italy with a convincing 30-13 triumph at the Millennium Stadium on March 10.

The match report on the Welsh Rugby Union website stated: "Centre Evans, making her first start of this year’s championship, brought real stability to theWalesmidfield, and her partnership with Naomi Thomas proved to be a constant threat to the Italian team. The 26-year-old marked her keenly-anticipated return from injury by scoring a try in the first half of this encounter."

Elen works as a service adviser at her uncle's Dolgellau garage and regularly makes the arduous 250-mile round trip toCardiffto train with the Welsh women's rugby squad. She, too, is a versatile player and can play as a centre or wing.

Speed obviously runs through the family as her uncle is Gwyndaf Evans, one ofWales's best rally drivers in recent history.

Elen joined a select band when she sprinted over for a hat trick of tries against Scotland in last year's 2011 Six Nations championship. She finished that campaign with four tries to become the squad's highest scorer of the championship.

Emyr Jones said: "Both Rhodri and Elen are a credit to Welsh farming and their families. Their unbounded dedication to their chosen sport proves that if you really want to succeed the opportunities are out there.

"I am proud that we have young people of such high calibre helping to putWalesand particularly Welsh farming firmly on the world stage. Their families must be applauded for supporting them so unselfishly."

Following the success of the first ever Wales YFC and the National Trust Eryri Scholarship last year, the search has begun for the second Llyndy Isaf Scholar.

The scholarship gives the successful applicant the chance to run a 614 acre upland livestock unit in the Nant Gwynant Valley known as Llyndy Isaf.

FUW agricultural education and training committee chairman Alun Edwards said: "The FUW  strongly supports initiatives to encourage young and new entrants into agriculture and the chance to run Llyndy Isaf for a  year will give the successful applicant great skills and experience and an important first step onto the farming ladder."

The scholarship provides the winning individual with formal and informal training, accommodation, a farm vehicle and a £16,000 salary.

"This provides the ideal opportunity for a YFC member to gain hands on experience in business skills, stock management and animal husbandry," added Mr Edwards.

Interested individuals can attend one of two open days at Llyndy Isaf to see the facilities and speak to the current scholar Caryl Hughes.

Applications close on Friday May 2.  YFC members aged 18 to 26 are urged to apply.

Further information and an application pack containing a role profile and guidance pack is available from the Wales YFC Centre and to download from the website at www.yfc-wales.org.uk.