[caption id="attachment_4610" align="aligncenter" width="210"] Mark Roberts[/caption]

The Farmers' Union of Wales insurance arm, FUW Insurance Services, today announced it has become a member of Broker Network - the UK's leading network for independent commercial insurance brokers.

Aberystwyth-based FUW Insurance Services has 13 branch offices across Wales and employs 30 field staff and 12 at head office specialising in insurance cover for all forms of farming and rural trades.

It was recently confirmed as being the third largest insurance broker in Wales. The business has seen a 50 per cent increase in premium income since 2007 with 15 per cent of that income being added in 2011.

As a Broker Network member, FUW now has access to exclusive insurer products and markets plus support from central HR, Marketing, Compliance, IT and Finance teams.

FUW operations director Mark Roberts said today: “We have enjoyed significant growth in income over the past four years by increasing our market share and working closely with insurers to ensure profitable and flexible working relationships.

"In order to maintain these levels of growth, we have taken the decision to join Broker Network in order to gain access to additional markets and products.

"We have also been impressed by the provision of business services, such as marketing, which will help us reach out to new customers in a professional and creative manner.”

Broker Network and Countrywide managing director Nick Houghton said: “FUW is a classic example of a business wanting to make the very most out of their membership.

"With ambitions to increase market share and premium income, they will work closely with our central support teams to realise these goals. We look forward to playing a part in their continued success.”

The Farmers' Union of Wales today welcomed Defra's victory on sheep EID in Brussels that has delayed for three years a requirement for individual movement recording of the "historic flock".

"The EU's decision makes a lot of sense and could save the Welsh sheep farming industry millions of pounds," said FUW hill farming committee chairman Derek Morgan.

Individual recording movements of sheep born before December 31, 2009, known as the "historic flock", due to come into force on January 1 2012, would have led to many farmers having to electronically tag these animals next year.

But Defra's proposal to delay the requirement until the end of 2014 has been accepted - just three weeks before it was due to come into force.

The EC's Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCoFCAH) narrowly voted in favour of the derogation at a meeting in Brussels on Tuesday.

"We welcome this derogation as the FUW has long objected to the compulsory electronic identification and recording of sheep based upon evidence gathered during numerous trials which identified major shortcomings with EID technology," said Mr Morgan, of Llangurig, Powys.

"The experience of our members since EID was made compulsory has confirmed that these concerns were well founded.

"Nevertheless, the FUW recognises Member States, such as the UK, that object to EID represent a minority within the EU and efforts must be made to ensure the impact of the current Regulations are minimised, particularly in terms of penalties which may be incurred as a result of circumstances beyond the reasonable control of farmers.

"Therefore, we welcome this latest EU decision," Mr Morgan added.

Farmers’ Union of Wales Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire branches are holding a joint open meeting to discuss the post-2014 CAP reform proposals.

The meeting will take place at 8pm on Tuesday, December 13 at Nantyffin Hotel, Llandissilio.

FUW director of agricultural policy Nick Fenwick, who recently met senior EC officials and MEPs in Brussels to discuss the union’s concerns about the reform proposals, will be the guest speaker at the event.

He will outline the key points of the CAP reform proposals and their implications for Welsh farmers together with the union’s response to the proposals.

[caption id="attachment_4603" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Top: Glyn Davies with recording instrument and Charles Morgan show the Chinese vets how sheep are electronically identified.Below: FUW representatives hosted Chinese vets on a typical family hill farm in Glamorganshire.[/caption]

Farmers' Union of Wales support for Welsh Government efforts to secure Welsh Lamb exports to China received a boost when its Glamorgan county branch members hosted a farm visit for 12 vets from Sichuan - the most populated province of China.

The vets from the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in Chengdu - the capital of Sichuan province and home to more than 10 million people - were on a study tour to learn from UK agencies and farming unions about animal disease control and prevention and general animal welfare on farms.

They visited the farm of FUW members Charles and Gill Morgan, Gellifeddgar, Blackmill, who run it in partnership with their son Richard.

The event follows the FUW's annual House of Lords Farmhouse Breakfast Week function in January 2010 when Zhou Xiaoming, Minister Counsellor at the UK's Chinese Embassy in charge of trade and investment issues between China and the UK including agriculture, was a top-table guest.

Welsh red meat agency Hybu Cig Cymru was also represented at the Lords function and since then it has been part of Welsh Government-led efforts to make Welsh Lamb available in China.

A typical Welsh family hill farm, Gellifeddgar lies between 350 and 950 feet above sea level and extends to some 360 acres with a further 50 acres rented, together with grazing rights on the adjoining common land.

Stocking on the farm comprises a flock of 700 ewes and 140 ewe lambs, mainly Welsh Mules - South Wales Mountain ewes crossed with a Blue Faced Leicester ram. A Texel ram is used on the majority of the flock with a Charolais utilised with the ewe lambs for easier lambing.

The farm also carries a herd of 30 suckler cows, mainly Limousin cross with some Belgian Blue crosses. Around 10 cattle a year are sold directly through farmers markets and the remainder sold as stores at 10-12 months old.

FUW county executive officer Glyn Davies said: "The main thrust of the visit was to explain how animal welfare is managed on an individual basis on the farm and how the local authority and veterinary surgeons, together with the Welsh Government's animal welfare division, are involved in managing disease control.

"It was a very successful event with the Chinese delegation being extremely interested in the practical side of the animal recording and asking some pertinent questions about the control measures and testing regime in respect of bovine TB."

FUW Glamorgan county chairman Glyn Jones introduced the delegation to the union's senior policy officer Hazel Wright, the farm's vet Mike King of Maes Glas Veterinary Group, and Bridgend County Borough Council trading standards officers Jane Jones and Helen Gome.

Miss Wright, explaining the role of the union in implementing disease control strategy, said delegates attended various stakeholders' meetings of the Welsh Government and responded to numerous consultation documents affecting animal health.

Mr King outlined the role and working relationship between the farmer and his veterinary surgery practice and highlighted the main concerns of the industry at the moment, particularly bovine TB.

FUW vice president Brian Walters told the delegation of particular problems he had encountered on his farm and how the eradication of TB had become a very important issue on the farming agenda.

Mr Davies gave a brief demonstration of how sheep were identified and showed the delegation the working of electronic tags and the recording requirements.

This was further supplemented by the trading standards officers explaining the reporting procedures for animal movements and their extended role in maintaining good animal welfare on the farms.

Also present at the event was Welsh Government liaison officer Fuling Li and FUW Glamorgan member John Griffiths.

Refreshments were kindly provided by Mrs Morgan and the delegation were enthusiastic in their gratitude to Charles and Gill Morgan for hosting the event.