The virtual farmhouse breakfast week (18-24 January), organised by the Farmers’ Union of Wales has been a roaring success. The campaign didn’t just raise the profile of local food, its  producers and retailers but vital funds for the DPJ Foundation.

Under normal circumstances the FUW would have held breakfast events across Wales in village halls, cafes, marts and farmhouse kitchens, however the on-going Covid-19 lockdown meant a change of plan. 

FUW President Glyn Roberts said: “I would like to thank each and every single one of you who has helped make this virtual campaign a roaring success. We have seen hundreds of you enjoy breakfast, sourced locally, at home with your families and our retailers and farmers were instrumental in their involvement and provided excellent food from Wales.”

The Farmers' Union of Wales says Welsh Government water quality legislation announced today (January 27) makes a mockery of devolution by failing to address Welsh concerns and needs.

The legislation will mean the phasing across Wales of what are effectively EU rules currently in place in intensively farmed areas -  designate the whole of Wales as an EU Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ), an area more than forty times bigger than the current Welsh NVZ area, and eleven times bigger than what was recommended by NRW.

FUW president Glyn Roberts said: "The blank sheet of devolution and Brexit allows Welsh Government to design a bespoke system which would target problem areas without being disproportionate and costing the farming industry hundreds of millions - including in areas where there are no problems.

Members of Montgomeryshire FUW are to meet virtually with MP Craig Williams to raise concerns about the threat that non-tariff barriers represent to a major slaughterhouse in the constituency and the industry as a whole.

Meat processing plant Randall Parker Foods, near Llanidloes, which processes a million lambs a year - half of which are exported to the European Union - last week warned that it may lose a third of its 150 workers if the extra cost and paperwork of selling meat into the EU under the new post-Brexit trading arrangements cannot be overcome.

The FUW breathed a sigh of relief after Natural Resources Wales successfully defended General Licences to control certain wild birds in the High Court after campaigning body Wild Justice brought a legal challenge. The ruling means that the challenged General Licences can continue to be used to control certain wild bird species. The General Licences are available for the purpose of preventing serious damage or disease to crops or livestock, protecting public health and conserving certain species of wild birds.