The Farmers' Union of Wales today slammed proposals by the Cypriot EU Presidency to cut the CAP budget by €6.8bn, describing the suggestion as irresponsible.

As well as proposing cuts of €5.65bn and €1.15bn to Pillar One and Two spending respectively, the Cypriots also propose that member states be able to transfer up to 15% of their Pillar 1 funds across to Pillar 2 without co-funding - a plan which has also attracted harsh criticism from the FUW.

FUW president Emyr Jones said: "Once again our vulnerability to food shortages and the need to support agriculture has been made clear as harvests have failed across the globe, including on our own doorsteps, and the experts are telling us things will only get worse over the coming decades.

"The Presidency's proposals will do nothing but undermine agriculture in a way which will worsen the threat posed by harvest failures and food shortages."

The proposal to freeze the CAP budget in nominal terms is supported by France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain and others, and was given the backing of the European Parliament on Tuesday of last week. However, the UK, Sweden and the Netherlands are pushing for major cuts.

"The EU Parliament, along with countries such as Ireland, France, and Germany, rightly recognise the importance of agriculture both in terms of maintaining food security and helping the economic recovery," said Mr Jones.

He added that the proposal to introduce even more flexibility to allow funds to be siphoned away from food producers did nothing but add to the risks in terms of food security and would move the EU further away from a common agricultural policy.

"This will mean even more differences between member states and regions, and we are under no illusions as to the likely impact in the UK of such further liberalisation," said Mr Jones.

"The bottom line is that food producers in some member states will be supported while those in others will be undermined as money is hived off to make good domestic cuts and to allow regions and member states to pursue agendas which are not in line with the overarching key purposes of the CAP.

"We are fully supportive of having two strong pillars which support agriculture and rural development but such flexibility will do nothing but move us further away from the very principles upon which the CAP was founded."

[caption id="attachment_4145" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Caryl Wyn-Jones[/caption]

A farmer's daughter from Llanrwst has been appointed as the new Farmers' Union of Wales county executive officer for Ceredigion.

Caryl Wyn-Jones was born at Gosen Farm in the Conwy valley on the outskirts of Llanrwst and her father Emrys Jones farms the Great Orme in Llandudno, both of which are cattle and sheep farms covering 400 hectares.

After attending Ysgol Dyffryn Conwy, she moved to Cardiff to study law and politics. She was chosen to work on the cross-party Yes For Wales campaign team and worked closely with WRU chairman Roger Lewis who was chairman of the campaign in 2011.

Miss Wyn-Jones has a keen interest in European agricultural policy and has worked closely with Elin Jones AM and Jill Evans MEP on the issues that affect Welsh farmers.

She was previously employed by Plaid Cymru in Cardiff as head of events, fund raising and office manager and has also worked as secretary to S4C's legal team.

Miss Wyn-Jones, who commenced her new role on Monday (October 29), said : "During these tough economic times farmers need the help and support of a strong union more than ever.

"My main priority will be to represent the farmers of Ceredigion in every aspect of their rural working life and ensure their voices are heard by those who have decision-making powers over agriculture."

[caption id="attachment_4142" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Meurig Voyle[/caption]

The life and times of Farmers' Union of Wales stalwart Meurig Voyle - who began working for the union in Carmarthenshire over 50 years ago before retiring as its Denbighshire county executive officer in 1990 - were recounted recently at a special event in his honour.

Denbigh Rugby Club was packed out by members and friends as S4C's Ffermio programme's former presenter Sulwyn Thomas compered the evening which featured a talk by 88-year-old Mr Voyle who continues to cut a familiar figure greeting visitors to the FUW's pavilion alongside the main ring at the Royal Welsh Show.

FUW life member Mr Voyle has performed the task for 47 years in his capacity as caretaker of the union's pavilion, and previously its marquee stand, at the show.

As a young newspaper reporter in Carmarthen, Mr Thomas recalled first meeting Mr Voyle in 1961. "Meurig was the FUW's assistant county secretary for Carmarthenshire and always had a good story to tell which invariably made the news columns.

"Reporters are a cynical bunch. We look at people very clinically but when we come across a gem like Meurig Voyle we put a tick in the box," Mr Thomas added.

He recalled the active part Mr Voyle, a native of Llanddarog, near Carmarthen, played in a campaign in 1964 when farmers and villagers at neighbouring Llangendeirne refused to allow a survey of a site for a proposed reservoir.

Mr Voyle was appointed FUW's Denbighshire county secretary in 1966 after being assistant county secretary in Carmarthenshire for five years.

He soon discovered reporters had been invited to attend meetings of Denbighshire county executive committee since December 1960 but great difficulty was experienced in having FUW reports included in the local press.

"However, the problem was resolved when I suggested to the editors that union members might boycott their newspapers," he revealed.

Looking to the future, Mr Voyle said the young farmers in the audience needed to keep the FUW going because of the sacrifice so many members had made in the past to ensure its continued survival.

"They all deserve our respect," he added.

FUW president Emyr Jones said it was good to see the clubhouse full for the event which also raised funds towards the union's sponsorship of the Crown at next year's National Eisteddfod in Denbighshire.

"I would like to thank Meurig for his services and all the good things he has done to fly the flag for the union," Mr Jones added.

In a vote of thanks, the union's Denbighshire county chairman Iwan Jones said: "It is now up to us to keep the union going in the same way as Mr Voyle did."

[caption id="attachment_4138" align="aligncenter" width="500"] OUTSTANDING SERVICE: From left, Meinir Bartlett, Roy Davies FRAgS and United Counties’ Agricultural Hunters Society chairman Lynn Davies ARAgS.[/caption]

A well-known retired banker has been presented with the Farmers' Union of Wales/United Counties Agricultural & Hunters Society award for outstanding service to agriculture in Carmarthenshire.

Former Carmarthen-based HSBC Bank plc agricultural manager Roy Davies, a Fellow of Royal Agricultural Societies (FRAgS), received the award during last weekend's Welsh Dairy Show annual dinner.

FUW Carmarthenshire county executive officer Meinir Bartlett said: "During his time with HSBC Agricultural Banking in Carmarthenshire and West Wales, Mr Davies worked extremely hard and in a fully professional manner for the benefit of his farming clients and the promotion of agriculture in general."

Mr Davies has been a committee member of the Welsh Dairy Show since it was founded in 1989 and is now president-elect.

Since his retirement he has been elected South Wales chairman of the Welsh Assembly Appeals Panel and, since 2002, treasurer of Carmarthen Chamber of Agriculture and recently finished his term of office as president of the Chamber.

He represents the county on the RWAS sponsorship committee and is honorary treasurer to Carmarthenshire RWAS Advisory Committee. In 1997 he was made a FRAgS in recognition of "25 years of advice to Welsh farming".

Mr Davies said: "This award came as a complete shock and I feel very humble, especially when I look at the past winners. I consider myself very lucky to have worked within such a committed industry which never appears to get the credit it deserves.

"However, the greatest pleasure I have had over the past 34 years is that I have lived and worked in Carmarthen with the friends I have made - and that is worth so much."