The Farmers’ Union of Wales has welcomed progress made in designing the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) - but says the scheme is at a critical stage that will decide whether it is fit for purpose or presents major barriers for the industry and excludes large numbers of farmers.

In a statement made to the Senedd on 11 July, Minister for Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths announced that three reports had been published - two detailing the findings of a ‘co-design’ process and one giving the Welsh Government’s response - telling the Senedd that a phased approach to introducing the new scheme from 2025 would be considered to avoid large scale changes at once. 

The Farmers’ Union of Wales has a new presidential team at its helm to lead the organisation forward in its mission to ensure there are thriving, sustainable family farms in Wales.

Joining newly elected President Ian Rickman at the top are Pembrokeshire dairy farmer Dai Miles as deputy President; North Wales beef and sheep farmer Alun Owen as North Wales Vice President; Glamorgan beef and sheep farmer Brian Bowen as South Wales Vice President and Ceredigion sheep farmer Anwen Hughes as Mid Wales Vice President.

Carmarthenshire sheep and beef farmer Ian Rickman has been elected as President of the Farmers’ Union of Wales at the Union’s Council meeting in Aberystwyth on Friday 30 June 2023. He takes over from Glyn Roberts, who served the Union for 8 years in the role.

Ian Rickman’s parents, Robert and Margaret Rickman, moved to Gurnos, Llangadog, Carmarthenshire in 1975; that was Ian's first experience of farming and started a lifelong passion.

Farmers’ Union of Wales and FUW Insurance Services staff have set themselves a final challenge to raise vital funds for the DPJ Foundation, a mental health charity in Wales supporting those in the agricultural sector, and break the £50,000 barrier.

The team of 8, which is led by DPJ Foundation volunteer and keen mountaineer Iwan Meirion, will embark on a gruelling 24 hour challenge on Thursday 6 July to tackle the Welsh 3000’s. The 15 mountains in Wales that have a height of 3000 feet or more and the challenge is over 50km in length and involves nearly 3,700m of elevation gain.

It is a strenuous outing on Wales' highest mountains, split into 3 sections, that will push the team to their limits.

FUW Insurance Services staff from across Wales have been recognised for their outstanding achievements at the FUW Group Annual Business Conference, which was held on Thursday 15 and Friday 16 June in Aberystwyth.

The Farmers’ Union of Wales has paid tribute to its former deputy general secretary and legal advisor, Labour Peer Baron Morris of Aberavon who has died at the age of 91.

Lord Morris was instrumental in establishing the FUW as a recognised voice of Welsh farmers and served as its deputy secretary general and legal advisor between 1955 and 1957 which he described as “..two of the most demanding years of my life, I promised to stay in Wales for 3 months, 3 months became a year, and a year became two”. He then went on to be elected as the Labour MP for Aberavon in Glamorgan at the 1959 General Election.