North Wales - Farmers' Union of Wales farming and rural affairs news

FUW WELCOMES ASSEMBLY RATIFICATION OF TB ERADICATION POLICY

2009-11-05T12:16:24Z

The Farmers' Union of Wales today described a 43-9 vote by Assembly Members in support of The Tuberculosis Eradication Order 2009 as a victory for common sense and democracy.

The Order gives the Assembly Government the powers to use culling and vaccination of badgers as part of its bTB eradication programme.

Speaking after sitting through the debate, FUW's TB spokesman Brian Walters said: "Assembly Members have already supported the principle of badger culling more than once, and this vote ratifies the cross-party support for that policy.

"During a recent consultation on this issue, 85% of Welsh respondents were in agreement that culling should be considered as part of a bTB control strategy, and I am glad that AMs have recognised the need to act in order to prevent the spread of this devastating disease."

However, Mr Walters, a Carmarthen organic dairy farmer, was concerned that some AMs had allowed themselves to be persuaded to vote against the Welsh Assembly Government.

"Some of those who spoke in support of annulling the Order had clearly failed to understand the scientific evidence on this issue and some AMs even suggested that there was no established link between bTB in cattle and badgers, which goes against the opinion of every single expert on the matter.

"The chairman of the Rural Affairs Sub Committee, Alun Davies, made a crucial point that, when you analyse the evidence properly, as his committee has done, it points to infected badgers being largely responsible for the epidemic we are now facing."

Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones told AMs that the order had been laid following a 14-week public consultation and was fully supported by scientific evidence.

Last year, over 12,000 cattle were culled in Wales because of bTB and nearly ££25 million was spent in compensation. Wales has already slaughtered over 8,000 cattle this year. This time last year it was just over 7,000.

By 2014, the cost to the taxpayer could be ££80 million if action to eradicate TB in cattle is not taken.

FUW'S TALE OF THREE JOLLY ROGERS

2009-11-02T16:49:44Z

Welsh farmers can be forgiven for asking the question: "Which Roger Evans do you mean?"

Unusually, there are three Roger Evans's prominent in the dairy industry and they were all present at the recent FUW's eve of Welsh Dairy Show reception.

And the FUW's photographer grasped the opportunity to take this picture in a bid to clarify the situation.

Pictured (from left) is Carmarthenshire FUW member Roger Evans OBE, the Welsh Dairy Show's current president and a former chairman of Milk Marque and of the Dairy Council's executive board; Roger Evans, who sits on the Assembly's Dairy Development Centre steering committee and hosted an FUW-organised visit to his farm near Carmarthen before the reception; and Roger Evans, First Milk farmer director and board member of Dairy UK, who runs a 350-acre farm in Shropshire with his son David.

SHOW STALWART'S AWARD FOR SERVICES TO AGRICULTURE IN CARMARTHENSHIRE

2009-10-28T16:29:28Z

THIS year's winner of the Farmers' Union of Wales-United Counties Agriculture and Hunters Society annual award to the person making the most outstanding contribution to agriculture in Carmarthenshire is David Lloyd who has been a member of the society for over 40 years.

Mr Lloyd of Dolgwili, Glangwili, near Carmarthen, is a past chairman and president of St Peters YFC and club leader for over 20 years. He has also been a member of the Welsh Dairy Show committee for over 20 years and assistant chief steward for the last eight years.

He works with his wife Hefina for J J Morris Auctioneers in Cardigan.

He received his award during the Welsh Dairy Show's 20th anniversary dinner from FUW's Carmarthenshire county executive officer Meinir Bartlett.

During the dinner, a second award was made to Ronnie Thomas of Uwch Gwili, Peniel Road, Carmarthen, for his continued long voluntary service of over 40 years to the society. Mr Thomas received a framed photograph from the society's president Roger Evans.
Ends

CAPTION:

FUW-UCAS AWARD: From left, society chairman Lynn Davies; FUW national vice president Eifion Huws; Meinir Bartlett; FUW county chairman Roy Jones; David Lloyd and Roger Evans.

RURAL AFFAIRS MINISTER SPEAKS AT FUW MEETING

2009-10-28T11:49:09Z

The Denbighshire branch of the Farmers' Union of Wales will hold its annual general meeting - when rural affairs minister Elin Jones will be the guest speaker - and a farm visit on Thursday, November 12.

Other speakers at the meeting in the lecture theatre at Llysfasi College of Agriculture, near Ruthin, will be FUW vice president Brian Walters and life member Evan R Thomas who will address members on the main issues of concern, the proposed Glastir Scheme, sheep EID and the situation within the dairy industry.

The meeting will be chaired by FUW county president Arthur Roberts and will include the chairman's annual report on the union's activities within the county.

Earlier, at 4pm, chief animal health officer at the Assembly's Caernarfon divisional Office Dafydd Pugh, FUW deputy president Emyr Jones and Clwyd West's prospective Plaid Cymru Candidate Llyr Huws Gruffydd will tour FUW Ruthin branch chairman Tim Faire's farm, Plas Bedw, Pentrecelyn.

Mr Faire farms beef and sheep on 100 acres and rents a further 70 acres with his wife Fiona. It is a first generation family farm which they work full time alongside a fencing and conservation business.

FUW HANDS OVER WELSH SHEARING TEAM JACKETS

2009-10-27T10:59:50Z

The Farmers' Union of Wales has donated the official jackets that the Welsh team will be wearing at the 2010 Golden Shears world shearing championships to be held during next year's Royal Welsh Show.

All seven members of the Welsh team were present at the union's national annual dinner at the Metropole Hotel, Llandrindod Wells, to receive their jackets from FUW president Gareth Vaughan. It is only the second time that the championships have been held in Wales - the previous occasion was in 1994.

Ends

NOTE TO EDITORS: Picture caption: PRESENTATION: FUW president Gareth Vaughan (seated, left) presents Welsh shearing team manager Bryan Pugh with his jacket with (seated, centre) dinner sponsor Martin Waite, AMC regional agricultural manager. Standing (from left) are team members John Till, Bronwen Tango, Gareth Daniel, Elfed Jackson, Meinir Evans and Gareth Evans;

FUW WARNS CUTTING CAP BUDGET WILL THREATEN KEY EU GOALS

2009-10-27T10:56:26Z

THE Farmers' Union of Wales today reacted angrily to a draft EU report suggesting CAP spending after 2013 will be significantly reduced.

According to AgraEurope magazine, the report reveals spending would be cut in order to free up spending for new EU priorities.

FUW president Gareth Vaughan said: "The draft report outlines main priorities in the post-2013 financial period that include climate and energy security, and strengthening prosperity and security.

"Agriculture is a central to these key issues, and yet the draft proposals suggest a significant cut in the CAP budget.

"Any threat to the CAP budget will undermine the central role that farming must play in addressing these major challenges so to talk about such cuts while simultaneously outlining the importance of addressing these issues is simply ludicrous.

"The risks we now face in terms of food security and climate change, coupled with the challenges of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, means that any threat to the CAP budget represents a threat to every EU citizen."

The report also suggests a further splitting of the budget by introducing a "third CAP Pillar" in order to address climate change issues.

"Between 1988 and 2013 the overall share of direct agricultural support in the EU budget will have fallen by almost a half, while we have seen a massive increase in the number of EU Member States," said Mr Vaughan.

"If a third pillar is to be introduced, then the CAP budget must be increased in a way that reflects that. The EU cannot just keep carving up an already diminished budget into smaller and smaller pieces and expect to address major problems such as climate change."

There is another suggestion that Member States might be given further freedom to "nationalise" agricultural spending.

"The UK already suffers disproportionately because of our historically low allocation in terms of Rural Development funding, and the national support mechanisms that exist in other member states," Mr Vaughan stressed.

"A further movement towards re-nationalisation of agricultural spending would undermine the whole principles that underpin the EU, and are likely to severely disadvantage Wales's rural communities."

AUDITORS RAISE FURTHER CONCERN ABOUT MILK QUOTA ABOLITION

2009-10-20T13:36:26Z

A special report by the European Court of Auditors has raised further concerns over the impact milk quota abolition will have on Welsh and UK dairy farms, says the Farmers' Union of Wales (FUW).

Speaking at the Welsh Dairy Show in Carmarthen, FUW milk committee chairman Eifion Huws said: "This is now the fourth report to be published in recent years that highlights the price volatility and fall in farm incomes that will accompany the abandonment of the milk quota regime.

"The FUW has received criticism from some regarding its long-standing policy on milk quotas, yet the evidence is now overwhelming - abandoning milk quotas will be a bad thing for the dairy industry, and that is something we cannot support."

The Court of Auditors considered how effectively the Commission manages the market for milk and milk products with reference to the main objectives of EU dairy policy.

Those objectives include achieving equilibrium on the milk market, stabilising prices, and ensuring a fair standard of living for producers.

The Court found that the nominal milk producer price varied little during the 1984-2006 period compared with the period before the introduction of quotas. However, in real terms, the milk producer price has fallen continuously since 1984.

The report goes on to draw attention to the overall effects expected following the withdrawal of quotas.

These include "an increase in milk production, which should lower the market price", "a reduction of producers' incomes, in spite of an increase in the quantities produced", and "a stimulation of the EU's exports, possibly causing a downturn in world prices".

The report also highlights the fact that farmgate and consumer prices do not follow parallel trends, stating: "Between the beginning of 2000 and mid-2007 nominal consumer prices for milk products increased by 17 % while the nominal price paid to the producer fell by 6%".

It goes on to say that "on a market liberalised by the abolition of quotas, production capacities will remain relatively inflexible and producers might not be in a position to adapt rapidly to fluctuations in demand.

"The Council has decided to retain public intervention as a 'safety net'. But this safety net is so thin there is a risk it will be of only limited use in a major crisis and quite inadequate in relation to the risks in respect of the surpluses that the EU might face.

"The Commission and the Member States must ensure that the concentration of processing and distribution companies does not reduce milk producers to mere price-takers and does not restrict the final consumer's possibility of enjoying an equitable share of price reductions."

Mr Huws added: "Once again, the FUW's long standing position on milk quotas has been completely vindicated. This represents yet more evidence confirming that the abandonment of the quota regime will significantly add to the problems already being felt by the industry."

LIFELONG SERVICE TO DAIRY SECTOR EARNS FARMER TOP AWARD

2009-10-20T12:55:04Z

A Carmarthenshire farmer was today rewarded for his diligent lifelong service to the Welsh dairy industry.

Bryan Thomas was presented with the Farmers' Union of Wales-HSBC Bank plc award for outstanding service to the Welsh dairy industry during today's Welsh Dairy Show at Carmarthen.

United Counties Agricultural and Hunters Society chairman and a member of the judging panel Lynn Davies said: "Bryan's contribution to the dairy industry in Wales and the UK throughout his lifetime is second to none and I am delighted that he has won this highly prestigious award."

Mr Thomas of Gelli Onnen, Cwmffrwd, Carmarthen, has been a board member of the National Milk Records for 15 years and is currently the chairman of the Dairy Development Steering Committee. He also sits on the Assembly's Dairy Strategy Group.

He is a past Council member of the Holstein Friesian Society and is a founder member of the Welsh Dairy Show.

At the 2005 Royal Welsh Show, he received a Fellowship from the Royal Agricultural Society for his services to agriculture.

But most people would associate Mr Thomas with the highly respected pedigree Holstein Gelliddu herd which he and his father established during the 1950s.

The Gelliddu herd has won many herd competitions and events within the South Wales British Friesian Society, Holstein South Wales Society and the National Milk Records.

Mr Thomas now farms with his son Gareth and the herd continues to be one of the leading pedigree Holstein herds in Carmarthenshire.

Bryan is a well known prestigious judge at many national events. He also has strong links with the Carmarthenshire Federation of Young Farmers Clubs due to his contribution to St Peter's YFC.

He is the first person to receive two prestigious awards within the county as, in 2006, he won the FUW/Sioe Sir Gâr award for outstanding services to agriculture in Carmarthenshire.

COPING WITH bTB RESTRICTIONS IS A REAL CHALLENGE, SAYS FUW MEMBER

2009-10-20T12:51:00Z

The overwhelming impact of bTB restrictions on the day-to-day running of a farm was today brought home during a farm visit in Carmarthenshire arranged by the Farmers' Union of Wales.

First hand evidence of the impact of bTB restrictions was outlined during the visit to Penlan Argoed farm, Penlan Road, Carmarthen, run by FUW members Roger and Alison Evans and family.

Mr and Mrs Evans run a herd of 350 dairy cows and have been dealing with the challenges of bTB restrictions since April 2008. Due to the restrictions all unwanted dairy bull calves have had to be put down and beef calves, normally sold at two to three weeks, have to be reared on the farm.

Mr Evans said: "The130-head beef unit now involves a lot of extra work and puts pressure on farm buildings, especially over the winter months. We also had to change our grazing system in order to cope with the high stocking rate that has been forced upon us.

"The cows in milk are split into two groups - early lactation and late lactation. Due to three successive wet summers and as our stocking rate is currently at 3.3 LSU/ha we decided that the early lactation group would have to remain indoors until they are confirmed well in calf at about 140 days.

"This move was taken to reduce the pressure on the grazing land and to allow better quality pasture for the late lactation cows, especially as a lot of the farm is sloping and prone to poaching when wet."

Due to the high stocking level, growing enough forage became a problem for the family farm. Feeding rationing on the farm is currently based on a semi-total mixed ration (TMR) system with flat rate concentrates being fed in the parlour.

"bTB restrictions have brought many challenges our way and we've had to work hard in order to resolve these problems.

"For example a lack of forage has meant that we had to extend the forage part of the ration by feeding brewers grains and sugar beet pressed pulp in the TMR. We also have to buy in additional silage as is needed, either as a standing crop or as silage from a clamp."

In the past the family has invested heavily in order to increase their output which was already relatively high as their cows are producing on average 8,000 litres per annum.

"It was a case of grow or fold," said Mr Evans.

The farm now boasts a 30/60 swing over herringbone parlour with a 22,000 litre milk tank and has a cubicle building for 155 cows. But even with the constraints of bTB restrictions Mr and Mrs Evans are looking to the future with an additional building of 50 cubicles and a feed passage for the fresh calver group planned for this winter.

"Our first priority at the moment is to be clear of bTB as early as possible so that we can sell all the beef cattle and increase the dairy herd to 400 cows in order to reach our goal of producing 3.5 million litres of milk per annum," added Mr Evans.

"In the past we have bought in cattle from local herds and marts but our long term aim is to breed all our own replacements thus operating a totally closed herd in order to minimise disease challenges."

The family also has plans to replace the older section of the dairy housing with a new more spacious and comfortable building to benefit the higher yielding cow.

Succession is important to Mr and Mrs Evans and they are keen to delegate more responsibilities to the younger generation in the family. "We are lucky our children are keen to farm, and we are keen to see them carry on with our farming tradition," said Mr Evans.

The family are quite aware that more challenges lie ahead especially in terms of tackling tighter environmental restrictions in light of the effects of climate change. "There is no doubt that challenging times lie ahead of the industry.

"Climate change will undoubtedly bring about stricter environmental controls especially in respect to slurry and farm waste. And farming after 2013, with a reduced or no Single Farm Payment, will also be an obstacle that we'll have to meet head on," said Mr Evans.

Speaking after the farm visit, FUW's dairy committee chairman Eifion Huws said: "The Evans family has a well run farm in Penlan Argoed and they are an example to us all. They have proved that, whatever obstacle is thrown in their way, where there's a will there's a way!"

DEATH OF 'PASSIONATE' FUW LEADER HRM HUGHES

2009-09-17T14:25:10Z

Former Farmers' Union of Wales president Hubert Robert Môn Hughes OBE, affectionately known as HRM, died in hospital at Bangor last night (Wednesday, September 16), aged 85.

He is survived by his wife Olive, daughters Ann and Mair and sons Eifion, Bleddyn and Aled. All three sons are farmers and Eifion is a current FUW vice president and chairman of the union's milk and dairy produce committee.

"I will remember my father for the passion that came out in his voice during his speeches as president - he always hit a nerve. He was also a passionate believer in the Ayreshire cattle breed which he admired for their longevity," said Eifion today.

Current FUW president Gareth Vaughan also remembered HRM for his great passion and the concern he showed for the major issues of the day. "He was a very powerful orator and an effective debater.

"I think history will also prove he was a firm negotiator and would not give an inch when he knew he was right. He was involved with everything to do with Wales and Welshness."

HRM succeeded the late Myrddin Evans as president in 1984 and stood in the post for seven years. Shortly after his election, a Farmers Weekly profile by Robert Davies stated that it would be difficult to find two more contrasting personalities.

"While the Evans style of leadership was laconic and unflappable, Mr Hughes has a justifiable reputation for emotional rhetoric and passionate commitment to causes, a characteristic which often leaves him lost for words, even in his first language of Welsh.

"While some members might regret the passing of urbane diplomacy from the old FUW leader, nobody questions HRM's absolute honesty and total dedication to the union."

HRM was born at Penrhos, the then family's 25-acre smalholding at Bodedern, Holyhead, Anglesey. After spending several years as a farm labourer and farm bailiff in Carmarthenshire he returned to Penrhos in 1951 and by 1984 he was running 320 acres with 112 Ayreshires.

In October 1989 HRM led a four-man FUW negotiating team in merger talks with NFU representatives which failed to make any progress after two hours.

According to Welsh journalist Handel Jones' book A Family Affair on the story of the FUW from 1955 to 1992, HRM stressed after the meeting that the FUW went into the talks with hope and determination to resolve the differences between both unions.

"The negotiations broke down because we failed to reconcile our objective of a fully independent union for the farmers of Wales, working within a federal framework in the UK, and the desire of NFU Headquarters to maintain its jurisdiction over Wales," he added.

"It must be emphasised that the FUW was established in 1955 with the basic and all-important aim of having a fully autonomous union for Welsh farmers with the freedom to produce and pursue the agricultural policies which it considered would be in the best interests of the farmers of Wales.

"There can be no dilution of this all-important principle - there is no half-way house. We have ambition plans for the future."

After being awarded the OBE for services to agriculture in the Queen's 1987 Birthday Honours List, HRM held several meetings at the beginning of 1990 with banking representatives to discuss the crippling impact of 15 per cent interest rates.

Many farmers who had borrowed heavily in an attempt to increase their efficiency found themselves in dire financial straits. A growing number decided the FUW was best able to represent them during a time of great uncertainty and hardship.

Consequently, the union had enrolled more than 500 new members during the previous 12 months.

HRM was also a local councillor on Anglesey for 27 years. He was chairman of the governors of Bodedern primary and secondary schools, president of Anglesey Show in 1990, a lay preacher in the Baptist Church and was admitted to the gorsedd at the 1987 Porthmadog National Eisteddfod.

FUW MEMBERS GRILL RURAL AFFAIRS MINISTER DURING FARM VISIT

2009-09-16T09:06:54Z

Welsh farmers need the support of the public and the public purse if they are to manage their land to meet the effect of climate change, the Assembly's rural affairs minister Elin Jones said today.

Fielding questions from Farmers' Union of Wales and FWAG Cymru members on a Meirionnydd farm overlooking the picturesque Mawddach estuary, Ms Jones was asked about the Assembly's proposed Glastir scheme which will replace agri-environment schemes such as Tir Mynydd.

"There is a requirement to look again at such schemes to make them more responsive to CAP demands. There is a need to look more closely at other issues than previously such as water management and climate change," she said.

"It is not about what a visual landscape looks like any longer. It's about issues like the carbon content of our soil in upland Wales and retaining those soils is important when talking about climate change.

"Farmers are going to be actively involved in those discussions. I have always thought that if society wants a landowner to manage his land in such a way it is right that the public contribute financially to that.

"That is a strong argument why there needs to be public and public financial support for land management and you must remember my decision to introduce Glastir was taken before Alistair Darling decided to bail out the banks."

Ms Jones added that Tir Mynydd will continue to be paid in 2010 and 2011. "I believe in having a long transition period before Glastir is introduced," she told her 140-strong audience who enjoyed a buffet lunch of lamb supplied by the hosts, FUW's new county chairman Robert Wynne Evans and his family, of Sylvain Farm, Barmouth.

Dealing with questions on bovine TB, she said eradication of the disease is a long-term aspiration and she had decided to test all cattle herds in Wales annually.

"I accept it is an additional burden on farmers but the EC is particularly keen to stress managing TB is no longer an option - we must eradicate it."

Responding to questions about the Assembly's scheme for new entrants into farming, the minister agreed the maximum £15,000 grant available was not enough to buy a farm but it could help them to enter into a family partnership.

"I think it will stimulate young people into believing Government and their own family want them to stay in farming."

On the controversial question of electronic identification of sheep (EID), Ms Jones said she was not convinced that it was necessary for the control of disease but the EC and other big member states had lost patience with the UK and Ireland attempts to delay its introduction.

"So, as the minister in Wales, I have stepped over the divide as I have no choice other than to implement this in Wales and because I have been working with the farming unions in resisting this we have to try and achieve some of the concessions that may have been available earlier."

ASSEMBLY MINISTER SEES FARM DIVERSIFICATION IN ACTION

2009-09-16T09:04:31Z

RURAL affairs minister Elin Jones today (Tuesday September 15) discovered successful diversification is the key to success when she visited a family farm run by the Farmers' Union of Wales' new Meirionnydd county branch chairman Robert Wynne Evans.

The farm - three miles north-east of Barmouth - overlooks Cardigan Bay and extends to 1,290 acres. Forty-year-old Mr Evans also runs the 120-acre Bryn Odol farm at Tudweiliog on the Llyn Peninsula bought 20 years ago.

A flock of 1,000 of Welsh Mountain ewes are kept at Sylfaen, together with 320 ewe lambs as annual replacements which are over wintered at Tudweiliog.

Most of the lambs are finished on the farm and sold at Bryncir fatstock market or direct to Janann meats. The breeding ewes are sold annually at Dolgellau market.

A herd of 70 suckler cows is kept, one-third of which are pedigree Welsh Blacks. A Charolais bull is used to cross 50% of the herd with Charolais calves sold at 18 to 24-months-old as stores at Bryncir or Dolgellau market.

Some Welsh Black cattle are kept on and fattened and sold through the ABP abattoir at Ellesmere at 29 months.

Fifty-five acres of pit silage is harvested annually at Sylfaen and some extra land as big bales. Some 50 acres of silage is also harvested at Bryn Odol where a slatted floor shed was built to house 85 cattle with the help of a Farm Improvement Grant. Contractors are used for pit silage making.

Sylfaen farm was bought by Robert's father Gwynfor and uncle Glyn in 1982. Robert and his twin brothers Dylan and Geraint worked on the farm until 2002 when they joined their father after Glyn left the partnership.

The farm was one of the first to join the Tir Cymen Scheme when Meirionnydd was chosen as a pilot area in the early 1990s.

It benefited greatly from the scheme and later joined the Tir Gofal scheme under which capital works have been carried out, including stone walling and fencing, which have contributed greatly to the landscape.

The family have successfully diversified over the years. Robert's father and 38-year-old brothers now also run Islaw'r ffordd Caravan Park in Talybont, near Barmouth.

And Robert and his brothers own Henry's Bar, Billy's Bingo amusement arcade and the camp shop at Islaw'r ffordd, plus the nearby Ysgethin Inn, as part of the Evans Brothers Properties company.

Robert uses his lorry for haulage of hay, straw and fodder beet and delivers and spreads basic slag and lime to neighbouring farms in the area.

Recently he began a business of log cutting as firewood involving the purchase of a specialist machine for this purpose.

He has been active in the FUW for many years. He was elected vice-chairman of the Ardudwy branch in 2007 and chairman in June this year. He attends the union's Grand Council at Aberystwyth.

He is a member of the Meirionnydd Royal Welsh Show Advisory Committee and of the Bryncelynog Group of Meirionnydd farmers - funded by Farming Connect - who meet regularly to discuss ideas on their farming systems.

He is also chairman of Ardudwy Training Group - which developed from the old ATB Group - which is active and meets regularly.

He farms in partnership with his father, who was chairman of the FUW's county branch in the early 1990s, and bought Sylfaen in 1982 with his brother.

The event, arranged in conjunction with FWAG Cymru, was attended by around 140 FUW members who enjoyed a lunch of lamb donated by Robert.

FUW HELPS FARMER WIN CONTROVERSIAL 30-YEAR PLANNING ROW

2009-09-02T15:50:15Z

The Farmers' Union of Wales today revealed Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority granted permission for a permanent dwelling on a farm after the union helped the applicant compile records and details to demonstrate the farm's viability.

Park authority officers had recommended refusal of the application by farmer John Phillips, of Nant y Mynydd, Cwm Gwaun, Fishguard, but he won an 11th hour reprieve in July after asking the FUW to compile a report to help justify the application which has now been granted.

"We were approached at a late hour to report on the financial viability of Mr Phillips''enterprise," said FUW business development director Emyr James.

"We were pleased to be part of a group of people supporting this application and that we were able to provide the written evidence the authority required. It must have been an extremely stressful period for John Phillips and his family."

Controversy had raged over the application for more than 30 years since Mr Phillips was first granted temporary consent for a residential caravan in 1974, which had been renewed until 1998.

A number of later applications to build a small house were refused and now, to add insult to injury, the authority had instructed Mr Phillips to remove his mobile home by October of this year.

The plight of the family was the subject of an S4C current affairs documentary "Y Byd Ar Bedwar" earlier this year.

"There was imminent danger that they would be turned out of their home where they had lived and worked their patch of Pembrokeshire all their lives like their forefathers before," said Mr James.

The authority received nine letters in support of the application, one of which referred to a petition of more than 100 names, and it was also backed by Cwm Gwaun Community Council.

Mr James also welcomed proposed Welsh Assembly Government changes to planning guidance announced recently by environment, sustainability and housing minister Jane Davidson.

"They will be of tremendous benefit to the farming community and rural areas. They recognise the fact that the rural economy is a dynamic process which needs to adapt to ever-changing circumstances.

"They are also something the FUW has been campaigning for, for many years, and we will be actively engaged in the consultancy process to draw up the appropriate guidelines."

Under the proposals, Technical Advice Note (TAN) 6 is being reviewed to provide more opportunities for new affordable housing for local people and to broaden the scope of essential dwellings.

"TAN 6 is about meeting the needs of rural areas and helping to attract young people into farming by providing opportunities to build a second house on an established farm.

"It will encourage the 22 local and three National Park authorities to work with rural communities to identify opportunities for affordable housing and to diversify the rural economy.

"We share the views of a number of progressive individuals who believe that the concept of a National Park is meaningless unless the rural communities within the Park are viable, sustainable and vibrant," added Mr James.

FUW INSURANCE SERVICES APPOINT TWO NEW AREA OFFICERS IN POWYS

2009-08-19T14:06:31Z

The treasurer of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society (RWAS) and a farmer's wife have been appointed new area officers in Powys by the Farmers' Union of Wales.

Fifty-one-year-old David Powell, of Y Fan, Llanidloes, was made RWAS' joint honorary treasurer in 2004 and honorary treasurer three years later. He will cover Radnorshire for FUW Insurance Services.

Farmer's wife Julie Phillips, 30, of Upper Chapel, Brecon, was a Lantra administrator for eight years before joining the FUW. She will cover Breconshire.

Mr Powell was employed by HSBC Bank since leaving school and was their senior commercial manager, based at Llandrindod Wells, before he joined the FUW.

FUW business development director Emyr James said both appointments will boost the union's image in Powys and give further support to the good work of the union's county executive officer Aled Jones.

"FUW Insurance Services are now insurance brokers in their own right. We use a panel of agricultural insurance providers to ensure members receive the best possible protection at a competitive price.

FUW URGES CONSUMERS TO KEEP BUYING 'THE WELSH ONE'

2009-08-11T13:31:47Z

Welsh consumers were urged today to continue backing the Farmers' Union of Wales "Buy The Welsh One" campaign after Defra secretary Hilary Benn called for a "radical rethink" of the way food is produced in Britain if farmers are to feed a growing population.

"I believe that here in Wales we have already shown Mr Benn the way he should be going," said FUW president Gareth Vaughan, commenting on Defra's launch of the UK's first food security strategy.

"We have discovered consumer purchase power is a valuable tool in elevating the status of locally sourced, sustainably produced Welsh food which goes part of the way to addressing food security in Wales.

"Food provenance is known to add value to products such as Welsh Beef and Welsh Lamb - which both have Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status - yet approximately 49% of consumers remain uninformed about provenance issues.

"Through appropriately targeted awareness and information campaigns such as ''Buy The Welsh One'', consumers should be encouraged to consider the security of the food items they purchase.

"It is vitally important to reconnect people with the food they consume and to remind the consumer that, due to rising population numbers, food security is as important an issue today as it was during the rationing imposed throughout the Second World War.

"In order for consumers to be able to make a more informed decision, research must be targeted to determine the most sustainable methods of food production and to find the optimum balance between welfare, sustainability and production levels.

"Furthermore, it is essential that the Government leads by example by sourcing locally based, sustainable produce for use in the public sector."

Mr Vaughan added that the FUW continues to promote the high welfare, sustainability and environmental ethics inherent in Welsh farming.

"However, monetary constraints, lack of knowledge and inappropriate or misleading labelling may cause consumers to make purchases which are both unsustainable and which promote food insecurity.

"Little public attention is offered to the rights of the producer. Indeed, the definition of food security presented by Defra states that food security ''means consumers having access at all times to sufficient, safe and nutritious food''.

"Whilst the ability of the consumer to afford the produce is paramount, no attention is given to those producing the food and the necessity of making a profit from agri-production. Any action or solution employed to increase food security must have a workable basis on the ground level and must also allow producers to earn a living from food production.

"Welsh farmers are placed under some of the toughest welfare and environmental legislation in Europe and this elevates the cost of production. The UK agriculture industry requires the consumer to recognise that sustainable food production is costly and that cheaper imports do not necessarily offer the same degree of food security as locally sourced produce.

"True food security is dependent on sustainable, and often costly, production methods. It is important that the UK consumer understands that without stability in production there will be a decline in the availability of local, sustainable, ethical produce.

"With this in mind, Welsh food security must firmly remain a responsibility and priority of the Welsh Assembly Government and Welsh farmers must be offered the resources necessary to secure long-term sustainable increases in agricultural production.

"The reform of the Common Agricultural Policy should provide the incentives and mechanisms to encourage agri-production methods which use less water and fuel and which have a lower environmental impact whilst maintaining or increasing current levels of production."