First Milk's incoming chairman Sir Jim Paice MP predicted a great future for UK dairy producers with excellent export potential when he addressed the Farmers' Union of Wales reception during Welsh Dairy Show on Monday night (October 14).

Sir Jim said First Milk had opened an office in Hong Kong and if the population there increased its dairy consumption by just 100g a year it would equate to an annual total of 1.3 million tons.

He said Great Britain is one of the main producers of choice that could take the full benefits of the potential increase of exports.

"Britain also produces a greater variety of cheese than other countries including France - a fact I believe is not known by many," he added.

Answering a question from a member of the audience of over 100, Sir Jim said he was extremely disappointed by the Westminster Government’s decision to remove ministerial rank from the Defra farming role following the recent sacking of farming minister David Heath after holding the position for only a year.

He said the decision raised questions about the Government’s commitment to food and farming.

Before the reception Sir James paid a visit to the dairy farm of FUW members Dyfrig and Elizabeth Davies (trading as Penycoed Farm Ltd), at Penycoed Farm, Llangynin Road, St Clears, near Carmarthen.

Mr and Mrs Davies have a traditional farm with a flying herd of 300 cattle, calves being sold whilst purchasing maiden heifers between 15 and 30 months, and over the past few years they have successfully diversified by developing a leisure complex known as Llety Cynin (www.lletycynin.co.uk).

They have also invested in creating an under-pass connecting two separate parcels of land, thus avoiding the need for stock to cross a busy road.

The future of family farmers and bovine TB issues were the main topics for discussion during the farm visit.

[caption id="attachment_2619" align="aligncenter" width="300"] FARM VISIT: From left, Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire MP Simon Hart, farmer Dyfrig Davies and Sir Jim.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2620" align="aligncenter" width="300"] TIME FOR A CUPPA: From left, Dyfrig Davies, Sir Jim and FUW president Emyr Jones[/caption]

Farmers' Union of Wales Carmarthenshire county executive officer Meinir Bartlett has received this year's FUW/United Counties Agricultural & Hunters Society award for outstanding service to agriculture in Carmarthenshire.

Mrs Bartlett, who commenced her career in agriculture as a switchboard operator/receptionist with the then Milk Marketing Board (MMB) in Llanelli over 40 years ago, has worked at the FUW's Carmarthen office for the past 17 years.

While employed by the MMB she oversaw the introduction of the automatic recording of milk litres collected from individual farms throughout South Wales.

After the MMB ceased to exist in October 1994 she worked for its successor body, First Milk, until October 1995 when the office in Llanelli closed.

She then worked for West Wales TEC until April 1996 when she joined the FUW as administrative assistant. She was promoted to senior administrative assistant during February 2001 and to county executive officer in November 2006.

FUW president Emyr Jones said: "Mrs Bartlett has been an outstanding success in her role as county executive officer and has made a most significant contribution to agriculture in Carmarthenshire.

"She attends many ‘outside’ meetings on behalf of the industry, not just on behalf of the FUW, and she is an excellent ambassador and spokesman for agriculture."

For many years, Mrs Bartlett has organised a number of important agricultural events in the county including the FUW/HSBC Bank plc eve of the Welsh Dairy Show function and award for outstanding service to the Welsh dairy industry.

She also organised a dinner at Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli, in 2010 which raised £2,660 for the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI).

[caption id="attachment_2616" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Meinir Bartlett receiving the award from FUW president Emyr Jones during yesterday’s Welsh Dairy Show.[/caption]

A large number of Farmers' Union of Wales officials and members recently visited "an excellent example of a family farm" in Montgomeryshire.

The farm walk at Maesmochnant, Llanrhaeadr Ym Mochnant, Oswestry, was hosted by the Vaughan family and FUW county chairman Alwyn Vaughan welcomed the union's deputy president Glyn Roberts, North Wales' finance and organisation committee special member Eifion Huws and national milk and dairy produce committee chairman Dei Davies to his farm.

At the beginning of the year the family completed work on a new 12-24 herring bone BouMatic milking parlour which now allows them to increase their Holstein Friesian dairy herd to 120.

Much of the work for the new parlour was carried out by Alwyn and his three sons Rhys, Iwan and Sion. Rhys worked alongside his father on the farm while Iwan is a dairy specialist for Wynnstay Farmers and Sion is a builder.

All calves were reared on the farm, Holstein Friesian heifers being reared as herd replacements while all other dairy and beef breeds were sold as clean beef or reared on a bull beef system and sold direct to the ABP Food Group.

The buildings were designed to be dual purpose as all cattle would be sold out by the end of the year to clear the buildings ready to house the breeding flock of 1,000 Welsh Mules and Texel x ewes before lambing.

An additional 70 acres had been bought recently adjoining the dairy farm and the family had undertaken a programme of re-seeding and hedgerow renovation work, coppicing hedgerow trees and double fencing.

This allows them to make more use of grass and grass silage with three cuts being taken this season and a further eight acres of maize silage being bought in from a neighbouring farm.

Approximately 90 ewes lamb in January and the remainder of the breeding flock including 100 ewe lambs are lambed between March and April.

Four-hundred mule ewes were kept on the hill and higher ground. The farm consists of 470 acres in a number of blocks which all lay within four miles of the main holding.

Mr Vaughan said Maesmochnant is a typical example of the Welsh Hafod y Hendre style of farming.

Mr Roberts thanked Mr and Mrs Vaughan for hosting a very interesting and enjoyable afternoon.

He said: "Maesmochnant is an excellent example of a family farm working at its full potential by producing good quality stock to produce good quality milk and good quality meat."

[caption id="attachment_2613" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Alwyn Vaughan (furthest right) showing his farmland to visitors[/caption]

A plea by natural resources minister Alun Davies to local authorities to introduce a voluntary ban on the release of sky lanterns and helium balloons was welcomed by the Farmers’ Union of Wales today.

"The FUW is deeply concerned over the considerable dangers posed by sky lanterns and has regularly called for an outright ban on their manufacture and sale and for their release to be made illegal," said FUW land use and parliamentary committee chairman Gavin Williams.

Earlier this year the FUW criticised the UK government’s decision not to ban sky lanterns despite widespread risks identified by the farming industry. In July a huge blaze at a plastic recycling factory on the outskirts of Birmingham was blamed upon a sky lantern setting fire to 100,000 tonnes of recycling material.

“We welcome the minister’s decision to encourage local authorities to ban sky lanterns on a voluntary level, given that the national government has so far failed to act regarding this matter.

"The risk of livestock ingesting parts of sky lanterns and the fire risk they represent are a huge concern, and we have asked members to continue to report incidents to their county branches so that evidence of their effects can continue to be collected.”