Can you believe it's March already? An important month for a number of reasons - the weathermen refer to the first of March as the first day of spring - I really hope the weather will be more spring-like, particularly as many of us embark on lambing season.

By the time you read this, it will only be about three weeks until the clocks change and that means longer days and better and kinder weather - hopefully! But there is another special little day happening in March too - a whole day to celebrate us women!

International Women's Day is celebrated annually on the 8th of March, in different ways around the world in order to celebrate the achievements of women in the political, scientific, financial world etc. We can also add one more area to this list which is agriculture, and one woman from Carmarthenshire is an inspiration to us all in proving that it is possible to balance different responsibilities and make a difference.

Ann Davies is a wife, mother, grandmother, farmer, an active member of the Farmers’ Union of Wales, and a passionate Member of Parliament in Westminster since 2024 and has broken new ground for women in agriculture.

On the eve of International Women's Day, I had the opportunity to ask Ann about her personal experience of how to make a difference, here is Ann to explain more: 

"With International Women's Day being celebrated on the 8th of March, it is important to take a moment to reflect and appreciate the contribution of women to the agricultural industry and beyond," explains Ann. "As women, we often take on several roles at the same time, and as a mother, grandmother, farmer and Member of Parliament for Carmarthen, I know very well how important the ability to balance different responsibilities is.

“Being a woman in traditional industries such as agriculture and politics requires resilience and dedication, but it also offers invaluable opportunities to make a difference.

"From being a peripatetic music teacher to working in Westminster, my journey has been one of hard work and perseverance. As Chair of the Carmarthenshire County Branch of the FUW, I have seen women across our communities take their place in shaping the future of agriculture. We must ensure that the voices of women within the industry are heard and that they receive the resources to succeed - be it on the farm, in business, or in Parliament.

"The agricultural industry has attracted a lot of attention in the press recently, and there is no doubt that it is under pressure. With changes to inheritance taxe, rising costs and the need for greater sustainability, it is essential that the voice of every farmer - whether male or female - is heard. In Westminster, I continue to press for support for Welsh family farms, which act not only as the backbone of our rural communities but also as custodians of our language and culture.

“Despite the pressure, my roots keep me strong. Time on the farm with the family, Sunday lunch with the grandchildren, and milking on mornings when I'm not in London reminds me of who I am. Women across Wales are proving every day that they can balance work, family and public life. My message to any woman is: don't be afraid to take your place. We have a voice - let's use it."

Ann's story from close to the farm to Westminster is an interesting one, an inspiration and above all encourages women to venture into traditional fields and to make a difference.

Thank you Ann for your dedication, hard work and persistence, at home in Carmarthenshire and ensuring that there is solid representation for women in agriculture and that there is a passionate voice for Welsh farmers over in Westminster.

We look forward to seeing more women representing agriculture at all levels!

Angharad Evans – FUW Welsh Language Communications Officer - this article originally appeared in the March 2025 edition of Y Tir

By Glyn Roberts, former FUW President

On reflection, I can’t recall the first time I met Lorraine. A person of great character and warmth but I do remember her on the FUW’s Finance & Organisation (F&O) committee, of which she was elected some time before me. Lorraine and Terry Bayliss used to travel up to Aberystwyth together, I learned very quickly that if I wanted to convince these two I needed to carry out my homework first, as both were of strong characters. I probably disagreed more with Lorraine on some things than any other member of the F&O, but any disagreement ended at the door on the way out.

A few years ago, Eleri, myself and our daughters went to visit Lorraine at Cwm Carno. She made us feel at home straight away. We could see she was a hard working, independent woman with a heart of gold. She was sure of her beliefs and would undoubtedly stand up for herself in a male dominated agricultural world. Sometimes, people would take her the wrong way due to her abruptness, as I learned. You had to take Lorraine as she was! She was an inspiration to my daughters - a strong willed woman. Lorraine and Beca used to discuss farming issues and always teased one another - she had a great sense of humour. I can hear her now saying “Don’t you listen to your father! You do whatever you want! You show him how to farm!”

Last August was the last time Eleri and I visited Lorraine. Unfortunately, I could see a deterioration in her health but her mind was as sharp as ever! Soon the conversation revolved around FUW matters and back to the good old days of the F&O. I remember telling her that we disagreed on many things, her answer was that the important thing was that we had a mutual respect, we did what was best for the Union and the industry, and we did nothing for our own benefit. Fair play to Lorraine she lived by these principles.

Another of her principles was her determination to give Lee Pritchard an opportunity to develop within agriculture as he was not from a farming background. On that day we last saw her, we saw others who had been important to her - she emphasised her respect for the FUW’s current President Ian Rickman as well as past Presidents Gareth Vaughan and Emyr Jones. She was also very complimentary of the FUW’s County Executive Officer in Glamorgan and Gwent, Sharon Pritchard and past County Executive Officer, Glyn Davies.

The picture of Lorraine shows us exactly who Lorraine was - it shows the passion Lorraine had not only for agriculture but also for the FUW with her cap and the Welsh Black jumper, that’s how I will definitely remember her.

Lorraine used to be a teacher, but her true career was farming and her heart was in the rural community. She was from the Valleys, with a strong Valleys accent and was proud to carry the Valleys values running through her veins! She used to tell me that she was one of the “WERIN”, not one of the “crachach!”

Although her health was not at its best in the last few years, she coped well in a positive manner. She still visited the Royal Welsh Show and adapted herself to the environment by using the buggy.

She, like everyone else, did have some disappointments in life, I’ll never forget the way she opened her heart to me on one occasion. She said that she was not as hard as some people thought she was. I remember seeing a poster with a picture of a kiwi fruit stating it was hard on the outside and rough on the edges but soft in the middle, this was Lorraine in a nutshell. 

I remember travelling from Anglesey Show with Lorraine and Beca when Lee phoned. From my one-sided conversation, I understood that Lee wanted a new machine and Lorraine sounded quite adamant and stern that she could not justify the investment. After concluding the conversation, Lorraine turned to me and said Lee would have the machine as he was such a good boy, “I’m so lucky to have him.”

Lee was like a son to Lorraine, they were such a good team. There was mutual respect and friendship between both, I’m adamant Lorraine’s legacy will live on through Lee, and pob lwc to Lee and the family.

Cwsg a gwyn dy fyd Lorraine fach. 

Llyfr o atgofion a hiraeth - ni all neb ei gau. 
A book full of memories and loss - no one can never close.

As the Farmers’ Union of Wales celebrates 70 years since its formation in 1955, our Head of Communications, Aled Morgan Hughes, interviews some of the Union's most prominent figures over the decades, starting with Mr Bob Parry, President of the Farmers’ Union of Wales between 1991 and 2003.

1. What was the highlight of your time as President of the Farmers’ Union of Wales?

Having been President of the Union for over a decade, there are a lot of highlights and very fond memories.

One of the most prominent, which gained considerable publicity at the time, was visiting three farms in Carmarthenshire in the company of the Prince of Wales in the mid-1990s. The visits followed a meeting with the Prince at Highgrove, and I remember receiving a call from his Secretary to organise these meetings - without any mention of the NFU!

The intention was for him to arrive in Swansea by helicopter, but because of thick fog, he had to land in Cardiff instead - and therefore arrived an hour late.  I offered to cut one of the farms from the list to visit, but he completely refused, with the visit to the last farm, Caws Cenarth, running over by an hour.

The three farm visits went very well, and I remember visiting Brian Walters' farm, and Brian's wife had prepared Bara Brith for the visit. It was clear that the Prince was very chuffed with the Bara Brith -  with the enjoyment clearly visible on his face!

Another fond memory was the chance to visit Oman in the Middle East with Peter Davies in the mid-1990s, which was a privilege and a great experience.

Another highlight was being invited to the official opening of the Welsh Assembly - and leading a delegation out of a meeting with the new First Minister in the early days of the organisation following the appointment of a vegetarian as Minister of Agriculture - to the great satisfaction of the many farmers who were protesting outside!

2. What was the biggest challenge you faced as President of the Farmers’ Union Wales?

The biggest challenges of my Presidency came from the BSE crisis and of course Foot and Mouth Disease in 2001.

I remember landing in Brussels for a meeting, and receiving a phone call informing me that the disease had reached Anglesey - in a slaughterhouse in Gaerwen, about 6 miles from where I farmed. That came as a great shock to me.

It was clear from the onset that there were no plans or ideas from the Government on how to tackle the disease, and there was a great reliance on the FUW and NFU to offer ideas.  One of the first steps was of course sorting out the compensation for farmers, which came around fairly easy.  The biggest problem was organising how to dispose of the carcasses.  At first, they were burned on farms, which was a very depressing sight.  I remember driving back to North Wales from Cardiff, and stopping near Hereford, to see fires burning all over the countryside. That was a big challenge, and we eventually succeeded in moving carcasses to slaughterhouses.

There were meetings every other day, which was also a significant strain.  I remember driving back to North Wales from Cardiff, only to receive a phonecall in Aberystwyth stating that I needed to attend a meeting in London with Tony Blair the next morning -  there was no choice but to head back down to Cardiff for the night, and leave early the next morning to go to London.  It was an extremely challenging time practically and mentally.

Also practically, devolution brought some challenges too.  Before devolution, a large number of meetings were held in London - about 3 and a half hours from home in Anglesey, but, with the formation of the Assembly and meetings held in Cardiff, the journey was over 5 hours - and that was long before any mention of Zoom meetings!

3. In your opinion, what is the biggest challenge facing the agricultural sector today?

I was President at a rather troubled time, with many discussions and meetings revolving around people and personalities. Today, there is so much more emphasis on policy, and to be honest, one often thinks that an academic background is needed to be able to fully deal with all the emphasis on current issues.

More practically in terms of challenges in farming, it is clear that the costs of running farms are very high in the industry now.  This is a major burden on the industry, having a huge impact on business profits.  In the same way, the weather seems to be more and more of a challenge too.  As we have seen over recent months, there has been an increase in extreme and harsh weather, causing problems and costs for farms.

4. Why is the Farmers’ Union of Wales so important?

Undoubtedly the Farmers’ Union of Wales is as important today as it was 70 years ago, and many of the principles that founded the Union remain central to its existence.

Without the Farmers’ Union of Wales there wouldn't be half as many activities or interest in the voice of our small farms here in Wales.  I remember attending several meetings with the NFU throughout my career as President - in my own quite insignificant small car compared to some of the NFU's vehicles!  The Farmers’ Union of Wales continues to be a voice for the small family farm and it was a privilege to be the Union’s President - and the 3rd President from Anglesey.

by Angharad Evans, Welsh Language Communications Officer

As I set about writing this month's Cornel Clecs, the sun is beaming through the window and its warmth is very much welcomed. 

The lambing season continues for many, with some choosing to lamb later in the season to take advantage of better weather and more pasture growth, but that has not happened this year. But, there are signs that we are starting to move out of the clutches of winter, the trees are starting to bud, the cuckoo has been heard for the first time in the area, and the swallow is sure to be seen somewhere by now too - I wonder if you've seen these signs yet?

But the winter of 2023/24 will surely be remembered for a long time - for the wrong reasons. Many of us wondered at one point when the rain would stop and give our land a much needed chance to dry out, giving hope for fresh spring pasture to start growing. Apart from a one week heatwave at the beginning of September last year, the rain has been non-stop since July last year – a heartbreaking fact and makes farming extremely challenging. We had a bit of a shock here at the end of March when we woke up to a thick blanket of snow! From one weather extreme to another!

According to Met Office statistics, last winter was generally milder than average, and the names Elin, Fergus and Gerrit became familiar to us in December, Henk, Isha and Jocelyn in January and Kathleen at the beginning of April 2024 as fierce storms hit Wales causing damage all over the country.

The winter of 2023/2024 has been confirmed as the eighth wettest winter on record, causing widespread flooding across the country, including farmland, with wheat, barley and vegetable farmers suffering losses due to the severe wet weather.

Of course, not only did the wet weather cause problems right at the start of winter, but the whole winter was one challenge after another. It hasn’t been possible to cultivate the land in order to sow the seasonal crops.

The lambing season was more frustrating than usual, due to the weather and the condition of the land affecting the condition of the sheep. Lamb losses were inevitable, and feeding the ewes and lambs outside was a problem due to the condition of the land and ultimately proved costly. The same problems apply to those farmers who are currently in the middle of their calving season.

Animal health issues have added to the challenges as orf, joint ill, twin lamb disease and pneumonia have become more of a problem. Farmers, working closely with their vets identify and treat these conditions in order to ensure the health and well-being of their flocks.

It is not an easy task to turn animals out to grass in the middle of a wet period, and as a result farmers have had to rely entirely on feed and straw. Of course this puts financial pressure on farmers who have to spend more money on food and straw this year. There is also pressure on those who transport straw to farms as there is ultimately a lack of straw with those who supply it.

The relentless rainfall has also placed increasing pressure on slurry stores and adds to the current challenges imposed by the Government. 

May is nearly here, the days are longer, and hopefully the weather will settle giving us drier and warmer weather, but winter will remain in the memory for some time for all of us.