The Farmers' Union of Wales today welcomed 2 Sisters Food Group’s acquisition of VION's poultry and red meat processing businesses at Sandycroft on Deeside, Llangefni and Merthyr Tydfil but expressed concern that the future of a second VION-owned red meat plant at Gaerwen on Anglesey is still under threat.

FUW livestock, wool and marts committee chairman, Anglesey beef and sheep farmer Dafydd Roberts, said: "We welcome this announcement but remain concerned for the future of VION's Welsh Country Foods lamb processing plant at Gaerwen.

"We very much hope that this plant, which employs 360 people, will be allowed to continue operating as normal in the future.

"Welsh Country Foods, which has been under threat of closure since mid-January after losing a contract to supply Asda, is the only major processing facility for Welsh lamb in North Wales, handling 640,000 lambs per annum.

"Any loss of processing at Gaerwen would be a huge blow to the local economy and the community of Anglesey, as well as to the wider Welsh farming community.

"Hopefully, 2 Sisters' latest acquisitions in north and south Wales will provide a positive boost to the economy of the region."

Birmingham-based 2 Sisters Food Group was established in 1993 by its chief executive Ranjit Singh and remains a privately-owned company with 35 manufacturing sites in the UK and Ireland, six in Holland and one in Poland.

The group employs around 18,000 people with annual sales of over £2.3bn following the acquisitions of Northern Foods and Brookes Avana in 2011.

The Farmers’ Union of Wales today slammed the Welsh Government’s rejection of its request to extend the deadline for hedge trimming despite one of the wettest years in history making access to fields dangerous and damaging over recent months.

In its representations to deputy agriculture minister Alun Davies, the union highlighted the record breaking rainfalls over the past 12 months and requested a derogation from the rules which prohibits hedge trimming from tomorrow (March 1).

But in response the Welsh Government merely reiterated the rules regarding the March 1 deadline and the fact that farmers could apply to their Welsh Government Divisional Offices for exemptions in certain circumstances, judged on a case-by-case basis.

FUW president Emyr Jones said regular hedge trimming was an important management tool for farmers to keep hedges stock-proof and dense enough to provide valuable shelter for wildlife.

“Farmers prefer to trim hedges early in the year but the unprecedented weather conditions over the past 12 months meant it was impossible to get hedge trimming equipment onto many fields without compromising the health and safety of the operator or damaging land.

“We had requested a derogation from the deadline to allow farmers to catch up with hedge trimming operations, but the Welsh Government has ignored our request.

“It is shocking and disappointing to say the least that the exceptional circumstances acknowledged by everyone, including the Met Office, are being treated as the norm by the Welsh Government.”

Mr Jones said the decision gave out a message of indifference to the needs of the industry and ignorance regarding the severe impact that record levels of rainfall have had on agriculture over the past year.

“The Welsh Government seems to be under the impression that it has been possible to catch up for months of lost work during a few days of dry weather, but for those who work outdoors the reality is very different.

“Even when snows have melted and access to land has been safe and practicable, the backlog of work amongst contractors means it has been impossible for them to service everyone’s requirements.”

Mr Jones said that many areas of land which had thawed out remained as wet and unsafe as ever.

“This decision leaves large numbers of farmers in an impossible position and I would urge all those who are affected to contact their divisional offices to highlight their needs.”

The closure of a Carmarthenshire cheese factory will place downward pressure on the farmgate milk price for dairy farmers throughout one of the UK's most prolific milk-producing areas, according to the Farmers' Union of Wales.

FUW vice president Brian Walters said closure of the Saputo factory at Aberarad, near Newcastle Emlyn, with the loss of 70 jobs, would be a hammer blow to the employees and their dependent families as well as farmers who supply the facility.

"This surprise news will also have major consequences for milk producers in the area including those that supply the factory who, I understand, knew nothing beforehand that such a shock announcement was coming."

Mr Walters, who runs a dairy farm on the outskirts of Carmarthen, fears that if a buyer is not found for the factory more milk will be shipped many miles out of Wales to be turned into cheese or milk powder in the West Country.

"That doesn't make any sense at a time when consumers are increasingly seeking to buy more and more local food and drink.

"Closure of the factory will be a huge blow to the workers there and to its milk suppliers who will have to seek alternative buyers for their produce at such short notice.

"It will create downward pressure on the price they can expect to receive in the future."

FUW milk and dairy produce committee chairman Dei (correct spelling) Davies, of Holywell, Flintshire, said: "Every effort must be made by the Welsh Government to keep this crucial facility open so that workers in a very rural area with few job vacancies can remain in a job.

"In the meantime, I urge the Welsh Government to give as much support as possible to the work force and the milk producers affected by such a bitter blow. I sincerely hope it won’t lead to a drop in price for milk producers but closure of a facility so close to a large milk field is bound to add to future haulage costs."

A sum of £858 will be donated to the Farmers' Union of Wales president's charity, Cancer Research Wales, after the union’s Meirionnydd county branch held a fund-raising evening at Dolgellau Rugby Club last Saturday (February 16).

Over 120 people attended and entertainment was provided by Parti Cut Lloi of Dyffryn Banw in Montgomeryshire. The party, led by well known folk singer Sian James of Llanerfyl, contributed greatly to a hugely successful and enjoyable evening.

All arrangements, including the preparation of food for all who attended, were led by FUW Meirionnydd area officer Bethan Roberts.

[caption id="attachment_2317" align="aligncenter" width="300"] FUND RAISERS: From left, Sian James, members of Parti Cut Lloi with Bethan Roberts, FUW's president Emyr Jones, Meirionnydd county president Dafydd T Ellis and county executive officer Huw Jones.[/caption]