The Farmers' Union of Wales has thrown its support behind a bid by MPs to eliminate unfair contracts and create fairer and more balanced terms for Welsh dairy farmers.

The union's milk and dairy products spokesman Eifion Huws today welcomed the thrust of a Commons' Early Day Motion (EDM) sponsored by Plaid MP for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr Jonathan Edwards and already signed by four more Welsh MPs - Martin Caton (Lab) Gower; Elfyn Llwyd (Plaid) Dwyfor Meirionnydd; Hywel Williams (Plaid) Arfon; and Mark Williams (Lib Dem) Ceredigion.

The EDM, also signed by three MPs representing urban areas of England, welcomes the recently-published EU Dairy Package which establishes "clear and sensible" rules for price determination in milk contracts for farmers supplying a dairy other than a co-operative.

However, the EDM expresses concern that explicit provisions for minimum terms in contracts are left to member states to choose to implement and that the UK proposes a voluntary code.

"Dairy farmers are often adversely affected by poor contracts. They may be required to give 12 or more months' notice to pull out but the price the farmer is paid can be changed at will by the processor without notice," said Mr Huws.

"We support the EDM and, like the MPs who have signed it, we believe Government action is required to eliminate unreasonable contractual practices and create fairer and more balanced terms.

"The FUW calls for the introduction of legislation on this matter in any forthcoming plans to appoint a groceries and milk ombudsman."

Pembrokeshire pupils are being invited to enter a photographic competition organised by the county’s Farmers’ Union of Wales branch and sponsored by local organic milk producers Trioni Ltd.

The branch is asking children to take photographs in Pembrokeshire depicting one of three categories - Farm Life, The Countryside and Wildlife.

FUW Pembrokeshire county vice chairman Hywel Vaughan, who launched the competition at Maenclochog C P School, said: “The competition is open to children aged between 4 and 18 and will be judged in two age categories: 4-11 and 12-18.

“The photographs taken by the winner and runner-up of each category and age group will be made into a 2013 calendar which will be sold in aid of the FUW president’s charity Cancer Research Wales.”

The winner of each category will receive a £15 gift voucher for themselves, a copy of the calendar featuring their photograph, one day’s free admittance to the 2012 Pembrokeshire County Show to receive their prizes and a £25 cheque for their school.

The runner-up of each category will receive a £10 gift voucher for themselves, a copy of the calendar featuring their photograph, one day’s free admittance to the 2012 Pembrokeshire County Show to receive their prizes and a £15 cheque for their school.

The winning and runners-up entries, together with a selection of other entries, will be displayed at the FUW marquee during the Show on August 14-16.

The closing date for entries to the competition is Friday May 25.

The pupil’s name, class number, school name and entry category must be included on all entries which should be emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or posted or delivered to the FUW County Office, 3 North Street, Haverfordwest, SA61 2JE, and marked “Schools Competition.

Welsh farmers will be extremely disappointed that the Chancellor ignored mounting pressure to cut fuel duty in his Budget and approved a 3.02 pence per litre increase that will take effect as planned on August 1.

"The biggest expense for farmers and anyone else living in rural areas is fuel costs so it is extremely disappointing that this Budget will do little to help businesses in our rural communities," said Farmers' Union of Wales business development director Emyr James.

"The Chancellor's decision to ignore widespread demands for a cut in fuel duty means that, according to Automobile Association figures, UK diesel prices remain the second highest in Europe and in Wales, at an average of 145.9p, they are the second highest in the UK.

"Fuel costs are unavoidable and are becoming more and more difficult to bear for those living and working in rural areas," Mr James added.

Another glaring omission in the Budget was its failure to announce any investment plans to boost rural broadband coverage.

"The Chancellor did announce up to £12 million to deliver ultra-fast broadband to Cardiff and an additional £50m for a second wave of 'super-connected' cities across the UK but he has failed to mention anything about improving broadband services in rural areas.

"Farmers are increasingly forced to use the internet for sending a variety of information such as VAT and income tax returns and registering cattle movements yet broadband services remain either non-existent or extremely slow in many parts of rural Wales," Mr James said.

The Farmers' Union of Wales today claimed the Welsh Government decision not to cull badgers in north Pembrokeshire goes against the science and marks a cowardly betrayal of north Pembrokeshire farmers and the Welsh farming industry as a whole.

Since May 2010, farmers in the north Pembrokeshire Intensive Action Area (IAA) have been subject to a raft of extra and costly cattle controls aimed at complementing the impact of a planned badger cull.

This work was accepted by the industry as part of an holistic approach to tackling TB and farmers had a reasonable expectation that meaningful action would be taken.

But today Environment Minister John Griffiths announced they would not be proceeding with a cull and would instead implement a badger vaccination programme.

Following the announcement, FUW TB spokesman Brian Walters said: "According to the experts who have conducted the most significant research to date into badger vaccine, it would require a massive trial covering thousands of square miles of land just to establish whether vaccination can have an impact on cattle herd breakdown [1]."

Mr Walters also quoted scientific advice given to former Agriculture Minister Elin Jones in March 2011 stating: "…the vaccination of badgers is unproven for large scale field use and particularly in demonstrating a change in the number of confirmed cattle herd breakdowns. It is therefore recommended that a strategy of vaccinating badgers for bovine TB is not suitable as the principle intervention to deal with the weight of infection that exists in badgers in endemic areas of Wales, and the transmission of that infection to cattle at this time. [2]"

Mr Walters added: "As far as vaccination is concerned, nothing has changed since this advice was issued twelve months ago.

"By contrast, culling has consistently been shown to reduce bTB incidences in cattle herds and since the 1970s thousands of herds have achieved TB?free status following badger culling.

"The most recent peer reviewed work published in February predicts significant reductions in outbreaks in north Pembrokeshire following a badger cull. [3]"

Mr Walters was also harshly critical of those cabinet members who had previously voted for a cull but were now opposing such action.

"When AMs previously voted in favour of a badger cull on successive occasions it demonstrated that Wales was willing to take positive steps to eradicate TB, even if those steps were controversial.

"Farmers felt that we were genuinely on the road to eradication and the industry has worked hard in north Pembrokeshire and elsewhere in anticipation of meaningful action.

"Those who have now gone back on their words have not just betrayed farmers in north Pembrokeshire but the industry as a whole. They should hang their heads in shame."

In light of the decision, the FUW has sought legal advice regarding financial redress for the extra costs incurred by cattle keepers in the IAA over a period of almost two years.

[1] Internal VLA Memo on badger vaccination, November 2010.

[2] Wales Bovine Tb Eradication Programme ? The Badger (Control Area) (Wales) Order 2011; scientific advice to Minister Elin Jones, March 2011.

[3] Modelled impacts of badger culling on cattle TB in a real area with geographic boundaries, Veterinary Record (2012) 170, 177.