An ideal opportunity for farmers to discuss the future of their industry in the short and medium term following the recent announcement on direct payments under CAP reform will be provided at the Farmers' Union of Wales' Meirionnydd county branch's annual general meeting on Friday evening January 31 at 7.30pm.

The meeting will be held at Ty Siamas, Dolgellau, and FUW Meirionnydd county executive officer Huw Jones today appealed for a strong representation of members from all parts of the county.

The guests speakers will be Anglesey AM Rhun ap Iorwerth; prominent FUW member Aled Evans, of Dolymaen, Y Foel, near Welshpool; and FUW director of agricultural policy Nick Fenwick. Mr Jones will also deliver a presentation on branch activities during 2013.

Further details about the event can be obtained by contacting the FUW County Office on 01341 422298 or by e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

New farm income figures were a strong reminder of the major fears Welsh farmers have for the future, Farmers' Union of Wales president Emyr Jones said today.

"The union is concerned but not really surprised at the 30% cut in farm income figures released today, and the fact that there has been a significant drop across all sectors is a particular worry.

"The extraordinary weather last year coupled with the withdrawal of the Tir Mynydd Scheme had a devastating effect on the incomes of many farms which could not have been foreseen by any ‘resilience’ measures.

"The wet summer of 2012, coupled with the late freeze and major snowfall in the spring of 2013, meant that even the most efficient of farms faced unprecedented costs for which no resilience measures could have coped with.

"Whether it was loss of livestock or having to buy in fodder and feed, many farmers are still feeling the financial effects of the weather and this is likely to be a longer term issue for the industry in Wales.

"The union raised its concern at Natural Resources and Food Minister Alun Davies' recent announcement that he would top slice farm payments by the EU maximum of 15% and this, coupled with cuts to the overall CAP budgets, will mean that farmers are set to lose up to 23% of their CAP payments in 2014, which is extremely worrying as businesses that have seen significant cuts in their incomes will find it even harder to compete during 2014.

"The Welsh Government is due to consult on its Rural Development Plan in the next few weeks and it will be vital to ensure that the 15% top sliced from farmers attracts additional match funding to ensure that the amount made available to Welsh farmers is worth more than they will lose through top slicing and the inevitable administration costs of pillar transfers."

The Welsh Government must use "every tool in the box" to minimise the impact for farmers who will lose substantial amounts over the coming years as a result of the adoption of a three-tier payment system, said the Farmers' Union of Wales today.

Responding to Natural Resources and Food Minister Alun Davies' announcement of how millions of pounds of European agricultural funding will be shared between farmers in Wales to develop the industry, the union's president Emyr Jones said: "The announcement comes as a major hit for many farmers who will lose significant amounts under the new system."

Speaking after a meeting with Mr Davies to discuss the new payment system, Mr Jones added: "While we have repeatedly expressed concerns about the amount of preparatory work done to investigate payment systems which would reduce the impact of a new payment system, it has to be accepted that whatever system was implemented would have led to large numbers of businesses losing significant sums."

Mr Jones said he was particularly concerned about the location of the moorland line which would reduce payments for many thousands.

"However, given that the minister has made his decision, he must now look at using every tool in the box to reduce the impact of today's decision."

Mr Jones said that critical amongst those tools was the use of Rural Development monies to implement meaningful schemes which would boost farm incomes.

"Our objection to his decision to transfer 15 per cent of payments to Pillar 2 has been well publicised. The focus now must be on using Pillar 2 to return funds to farmers, and it is imperative that we hear a positive response to the Kevin Roberts review from the minister over the coming weeks.

"All the stops need to be pulled out to reduce the cost of regulations and red tape, and we need to see schemes which deliver increases in farm incomes which make up for the losses many will incur as a result of today's decision."

The Farmers' Union of Wales is calling for farmland - as well as urban property - to be protected from flooding in its response to Natural Resources Wales' consultation paper "Planning our Future".

"We welcome NRW's commitment to build, maintain and operate flood defences but stress that it is not just the urban environment that needs to be protected but also rural areas and agricultural land so that food production is not threatened," said FUW president Emyr Jones.

"Given the impact of recent weather conditions on coastal and tidal river areas throughout Wales it is vital that these vulnerable areas are protected from the risks of flooding.

"Farming by its very nature is responsible for the management and protection of the landscape and the environment as well as the production of food for an ever-increasing population but there is no reference in the NRW's paper to this contribution.

"We believe that, as agriculture is the predominant land use in Wales, recognition needs to be given to the role of agriculture in the management of water and the implications of flooding to food production in addition to property and the protection of the environment," said Mr Jones after visiting flood damage at Llanbedr, near Harlech, following a 30-metre breach in a flood bank.

"I was shocked and horrified by the scale of the damage. Luckily, no lives were lost, which could quite easily have been the case," he said.

"I made a point of walking to the exact site of the damage to the bank, since I felt this was crucial to fully understand the position. Repairing the flood bank will undoubtedly be a huge logistical operation but it is imperative that the work is carried out as soon as possible.

"I am aware that there is to be a review of flood defences in Wales and trust that the needs of rural areas will be an inherent part of this.”

NRW intend to publish its final corporate plan in March this year.

[caption id="attachment_2722" align="aligncenter" width="640"] FLOOD DEFENCES: Emyr Jones on the site of the breach at Llanbedr, near Harlech[/caption]