There is insufficient consideration of how the Welsh Assembly Government's new 10-year food strategy aims to engage farmers and other primary producers to consider moving into added value enterprises, says the Farmers' Union of Wales.

Responding to today's publication of "Food for Wales, Food from Wales 2010-2020" FUW deputy director of policy Rhian Nowell-Phillips said the union recognised the important role the Assembly's Food Centres play in helping micro-businesses develop and innovate.

"But we are concerned that more emphasis should be given to encouraging primary producers to consider added value as a means of shortening the supply chain, increasing profitability and improving the sustainability of their businesses into the future.

"There is also a need to make sure the relevant training capacity and mentoring is available for small scale producers and that targeted sales and marketing advice is made available to help these micro businesses.

"Processing facilities can be a major barrier to the adoption of added value opportunities by primary producers, and the lack of smaller abattoirs, or difficulties in accessing larger slaughtering facilities for one or two animals, is a genuine problem in many areas of Wales and does reduce the opportunities for developing this sector.

"The union believes that the strategy needs to reflect the importance of encouraging primary producers into the wider supply chain and the need for recognition to be given to the investment required to adopt new capacity.

"Whilst acknowledging the need for the strategy to adopt sustainability in its wider sense, it is important to ensure that this is translated into clear, uncomplicated messages, which do not result in increased red tape and unwieldy policy instruments.

"The FUW represents primary producers who are generally small businesses and already subject to a great deal of regulation, bureaucracy and red tape."

Ms Nowell-Phillips accepted that many of the aspirations within the strategy were fully in line with the union's aims of a profitable, sustainable agricultural sector within a thriving rural economy.

"Retaining primary producers and a critical mass of quality farm products is paramount to delivering the aspirations of this strategy. Sustainability, efficiency, and market development are also important for the success of the strategy, as is encouraging entrepreneurship amongst primary producers to add value.

"From the union's perspective, delivering the vision for food in Wales is reliant on a profitable primary production sector. The FUW believes that it is vital to ensure that farming is fairly represented in the strategy and that value should be added as close to the source of production as possible."

The lack of adequate broadband in several rural areas of Wales could be one of the reasons why farmers hate Christmas shopping, the Farmers' Union of Wales stressed today (Thursday, December 9).

Responding to a new survey which found a fifth of farmers detest Christmas shopping, FUW president Gareth Vaughan revealed he cannot access broadband services at his farm near Newtown.

"Most of the farmers I know do not have access to online shopping because they do not have access to broadband. So I'd be very surprised if this statistic represents a large cross-section of farmers."

The survey by online shopping website www.vikingdirect.co.uk discovered that when it comes to Christmas shopping farmers hate the experience far more than any other profession. They go for the easy option and buy vouchers or give cash instead.

The website gathered the views of people in the UK and Ireland to find out what type of shopper we are - either Dodgers (who dodge buying presents and go for vouchers), Pinchers (penny-pinchers), Planners (never go shopping without a list) or Surprise Shoppers (who go that extra mile with gifts).

One farmer who took the test came out as a Dodger. "I have to admit the personality test rings true with me as I came out as a Dodger and I do hate shopping," said Jason Chipping.

"I can just about bring myself to shop online, but I can't stand trawling round the shops - there are so many better things to do!"

Mr Vaughan added: "If some farmers are a bit down about Christmas, it's probably because they associate it with a lot of hard work and bad weather. A farmer cannot take the day off work because of snow and ice as animals still need feeding, milking etc.

"For example, over the last week many farmers have been up all night in temperatures of minus 10 or lower trying to thaw out water-pipes or carrying water for their cattle to drink. Perhaps some just associate Christmas with this type of very hard work."

The survey by Viking Direct shows the armed forces and those in banking and finance are close behind farmers while scientists and travel agents are the least likely to dodge a trip round the shops in search of festive gifts!

The study also showed teachers are the biggest penny-pinchers, that teenagers hate the whole experience and that people in sales and marketing are the most thoughtful and generous!

Many years of lobbying by the Farmers' Union of Wales for meat to be properly labelled with its country of origin has taken a major step forward, the union claimed today.

"We welcome the new proposals by EU ministers to introduce a draft regulation to extend the compulsory beef labelling system operating since 2002 to include lamb, pork and chicken," said FUW president Gareth Vaughan.

The ministers have also called on the EC to report on the possible extension of compulsory country of origin labelling to further products such as milk, milk used as an ingredient, meat used as an ingredient, unprocessed foods, single ingredient products, and ingredients that represent more than 50% of a food.

The FUW stepped up its country of origin labelling campaign in 2004 after members discovered Argentinian rump steak - displaying the British flag and British farm standards logo - on sale at a Bangor supermarket and Brazilian beef being sold in a newly-opened supermarket at Bala.

FUW deputy president Emyr Jones, who rears Welsh Black cattle near Bala, led a delegation of farmers to meet the area manager at the new store to explain how angry they felt.

And last August the FUW described the news that Welsh lamb was being routinely mis-sold on the menus of North Wales eateries as a significant step backwards in the promotion of quality Welsh produce.

Of the 244 restaurants, pubs, takeaways and hotels, targeted by a Trading Standards Probe, a staggering 50 per cent were unable to identify the origin of products which were being described and sold as "Welsh lamb".

Mr Vaughan said: "Welsh livestock farmers have good reasons to want accurate and unambiguous labelling of Welsh beef and lamb but in the past few years we have identified a number of examples of mislabelling of imported meat which could have tarnished the quality image of food produced in Wales.

"Welsh farmers are proud of their produce and the high welfare, sustainability and environmental ethics they adopt. The FUW has worked hard to promote home-grown produce and our long-standing and successful 'Buy the Welsh One' campaign reflects our commitment to the Welsh farming industry."

The trauma of witnessing 23 cattle including six calves shot dead in a pen on their farm due to bovine tuberculosis (bTB) has forced a distressed Monmouthshire couple to consider selling the rest of their herd and keep sheep instead.

With the December 17 deadline looming for views on the Welsh Assembly Government's proposed badger cull in an intensive action area in north Pembrokeshire, Farmers' Union of Wales members Rhys and Judith Parry, of Penterry Farm, St Arvans, near Chepstow, recalled their recent harrowing experiences when a number of their cattle failed a third TB test.

"When you load cattle on to a lorry to be sent off for slaughter you feel as though you've done the best for them. But it's hard to reconcile that with witnessing them being shot by contractors in a pen on the farm," said Mrs Parry.

"Following two clear tests, our latest TB test was on September 27. It showed 22 cattle as reactors or inconclusive and after cultures were taken for analysis we were told that the animals would be taken for slaughter.

"However, due to the fact that the cows were very heavy in calf, it was decided that an on-farm slaughter would take place. This was carried out on October 14 when 13 cows, four yearlings and six two and three-month-old calves were shot in the pen.

"The whole procedure was so traumatic. We feel that not enough emphasis is given to the stress placed upon farmers at times like this and, more particularly, the stressful way in which the animals had to be slaughtered.

"After the first one was killed there was obviously a great deal of panic amongst the remaining cattle. Some of the cows were very heavy in calf and, in fact, one of them had calved the previous night.

"The result now is that there are eight young calves that had to be hand reared and three cows that have had their calves taken from them."

The Parrys' 400-acre traditional organic farm carries approximately 350 head of cattle. It has been organic for a considerable number of years and therefore is, like the vast majority of Welsh farms, not run intensively.

"The fact that we had gone through two clear tests is important because, following those tests, the cattle were placed in a field which we know is close to badger setts in the nearby woods," said Mr Parry. "We are now very, very reluctant to put any cattle into this block of land.

"The bulk of our land is surrounded by woods and we have been so distressed by this latest episode that we are seriously considering changing our farming policy by selling the cattle and replacing them with sheep."

Normally they run a closed herd of 85 suckler cows plus followers and some bought-in organic store cattle for fattening but due to the recent outbreak of TB they are now down to around 50 cows. The majority of the cows are Limousin-Cross and are put to a Limousin bull.

According to the Welsh Assembly Government's website, bovine TB is a chronic, debilitating, infectious disease of cattle, badgers and many other mammals, including humans. In parts of Wales the disease has escalated over the past 25 years to unsustainable levels, placing a huge financial burden on government, taxpayers and farmers.

The WAG is committed to eradicating bTB in Wales by tackling all sources of the disease. The cost to the taxpayer in compensation to cattle keepers has increased dramatically over the past 10 years and since 2000 over £100 million has been spent on compensation alone.

FUW's bTB spokesman Brian Walters said: “We should be in no doubt that there are many members of the public who will respond negatively to the proposed north Pembrokeshire badger cull consultation but they are completely unaffected by this terrible disease, and have been lulled by wildlife groups into believing culling does not work and is futile.

“It is, therefore, important that farmers make their support for the cull known to WAG, as it is they who are directly affected by TB, and are on the front line in the battle against the disease.

“We have a pre-formatted response to the consultation which can be accessed and sent via our website at www.fuw.org.uk and those without web access can contact their local FUW office.”