The Farmers' Union of Wales today described the High Court's decision to uphold an appeal by the Badger Trust against the Welsh Assembly Government's plans for a badger cull in West Wales as a "bitterly disappointing outcome".

"The focus must now be on looking at the judgement and drafting a further order so that moves to address the problem in badgers can go ahead," said the union's bTB spokesman Brian Walters.

"At the same time, we must ensure that farmers in north Pembrokeshire are not subject to extra costs and restrictions which are futile so long as the major wildlife source of the disease continues to infect their cattle.

"Farmers throughout Wales, from Anglesey down to Monmouthshire, have been doing their bit to combat bTB for decades, and are now subject to more movement restrictions and bTB testing than ever before, all at huge expense.

"In north Pembrokeshire the restrictions and financial burdens are even more onerous, yet we know that around one in every seven badgers in the area is infected with bTB, compared with around one in every 140 cows.

"Farmers are doing their bit to control this disease, yet the court has decided that the most significant obstacle to controlling this disease, namely a highly infected badger population, cannot be addressed until further consideration of the facts is undertaken by the Assembly's Rural Affairs Minister."

[caption id="attachment_4816" align="aligncenter" width="200"] FUW president Gareth Vaughan - left - congratulates John Price on being selected as a life member in March 2007.[/caption]

The death has occurred of Farmers' Union of Wales life member John Price, a Fellow of the Royal Agricultural Societies (FRAgS) and former president of the union's Carmarthenshire county branch.

Mr Price, of Dafadfa Isaf, Gwynfe, near Llangadog, died, aged 72, at Glangwili Hospital, Carmarthen, on Tuesday July 6. He leaves his wife, two children and five grandchildren.

Mr Price ran a 144-acre hill farm where he kept beef cattle and sheep. He also rented 66 acres of land and had grazing rights on the Black Mountain.

After leaving school in 1953, he worked on the family farm with his late father until 1968 when he went to assist with the running of the Earl of Ducie's estate in South Gloucestershire. He returned to Dafadfa Isaf in 1981.

Club chairman of Gwynfe YFC in 1960 and secretary of the East Carmarthen Lamb Group, he started taking part in FUW activities in 1983 when he became Carmarthenshire county delegate on the union's national livestock, wool and marts committee and maintained a regular attendance until his death.

He was the committee's chairman from 1991 to 1996, Carmarthenshire county executive committee vice chairman and chairman from 1989 to 1993 and county president from 1993 to 1995.

Between 1993 and 2004 he represented Carmarthenshire on the South Wales regional committee of the British Wool Marketing Board and served as its chairman in 1994-95. From 1991 to 2002 he was a member of the National Sheep Association's Wales committee.

Since 1993 he has been a member of the Wales Land Tribunal Panel and chairman of Gwynfe Show committee twice (1997-1998 and 2003 to date). In 2003 he was made an Associate of the Royal Agricultural Societies (ARAgS) for his contribution to farming and the rural community and became a Fellow in 2008.

He was made an FUW life member in 2007. "John's contribution to the FUW, agriculture and his local community has been exceptional and he will be greatly missed by all who knew him," said the union's Carmarthenshire county executive officer Meinir Bartlett.

The funeral will take place on Monday July 12 when a public service at Capel Maen, Gwynfe, at 1.15pm will be followed by a cremation service at Llanelli Crematorium at 3.30pm. Family flowers only but donations in lieu for Towy Ward, Glangwili Hospital, can be made via Bryan Williams, Coach and Horses, Manordeilo, tel: 01550 777441.

THE Welsh Assembly Government's announcement to commit millions of pounds rolling out basic broadband to most of Wales' "not-spots" was described by Farmers' Union of Wales president Gareth Vaughan today as excellent news - even though it comes eight years after the union began campaigning for better provision in rural areas.

Mr Vaughan, who does not have broadband where he lives at Dolfor, near Newtown, said: "We've been told our phone line is too antiquated yet, increasingly, farmers are expected to supply information on cattle movements and so on via the internet but officials sometimes don't understand when you say you haven't got a connection.

"There are other inconveniences too - such as my grandchildren having to go to the library to do their homework via the internet."

And a few months ago the union slammed HM Revenue & Customs' (HMRC) "absurd" decision to force farmers in areas with no or poor broadband provision to submit their VAT returns on-line from 1 April this year.

Clwyd West MP David Jones, now parliamentary under-secretary for Wales, stepped in and protested to HMRC's director general Dave Hartnett stressing there are many areas of North Wales, including Gwytherin and Cwmpenanner in his constituency, which have no satisfactory broadband access.

The union also received support from website ISPreview.co.uk - an independent source of Internet Service Provider (ISP) information, listings and reviews since 1999 - which stated HMRC's move "appears absurd" at a time when the Government's own Universal Service Commitment (USC), which aims to deliver a minimum broadband ISP speed of at least 2Mbps to virtually every household in the UK by 2012, had not even begun to be implemented.

"It's obvious that the HMRC don't fully appreciate the problems facing farmers and other businesses in rural communities like Powys," said Mr Vaughan. "But we are hoping for better things from the Assembly's scheme which is due to start later this summer."

Initial funding of around £2m has been allocated by the Welsh Assembly Government for its new scheme and discussions are also under way to access European assistance from the Rural Development Plan (RDP). Support will be available for up to a maximum of £1,000 for individual premises.

Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones said the scheme continues the Assembly Government's commitment to provide improved services for rural areas and, particularly access to the internet which is critical for those living and working across Wales.

There are now about 1,800 people registered on the Assembly Government's broadband "not spot" database. "It is vitally important that the Assembly's efforts to acquire European assistance from the RDP reach a rapid and successful conclusion," Mr Vaughan added.

More than £10,000 was raised at a promise auction and barbecue organised by the Farmers' Union of Wales' Montgomeryshire branch last Saturday evening (July 3) to show support for the family of a staff member whose daughter is suffering from cancer.

Sixty-eight lots went under the hammer during the event at Cefn Coch Inn, Cefn Coch, near Welshpool, and the top price of £320 was paid for the use of a flat in Cardiff for any weekend - including rugby international weekends - donated by Montgomeryshire AM Mick Bates.

A tour of the House of Commons with lunch or dinner, donated by Montgomeryshire MP Glyn Davies, made £220; a limited edition Corgi replica of an M E Edwards & Son livestock transporter signed by Richard Edwards, proprietor of the Llanfair Caereinion transport company, sold for £200; while a British Lions rugby shirt signed by Welsh legend Phil Bennett and given by the FUW went for £140.

The total raised from the auction - efficiently conducted by Glandon Lewis, of Welshpool auctioneers Norman R Lloyd - was a brilliant £6,520 which, together with the proceeds of a barbecue, raffle and various donations, was boosted to a massive £10,161 which will be donated to local breast cancer support facilities.

"I'm sure the family of FUW Montgomery area officer Tony Williams whose youngest daughter, 31-year-old Sally, is currently receiving treatment for breast cancer will want me to offer their warm and genuine thanks to each one of the 300-plus people who attended," said FUW president Gareth Vaughan today.

"It was truly heartwarming to witness the generosity of the people of Montgomeryshire and beyond who helped make it such a hugely successful event," added Mr Vaughan.