FUW milk committee chair, Brian Walters, will open his farmgate on the eve of the Welsh Dairy Show 2024 next week, to highlight the importance of family run dairy farms’ in Wales .

Farming 500 acres in Carmarthen with wife Ann and two sons, Aled and Seimon; the family run a dairy herd of 220 cows with 200 followers on an autumn block calving system with the emphasis of producing quality milk off grass. 

Working as a team, the family employ one full time staff member and manage the majority of the machinery work themselves on the farm. This keeps costs down and offers them the flexibility to manage tasks like harvest, ploughing and slurry when it suits them, rather than balance contractors availability and weather.

Brian Walters, Milk and Dairy Produce Committee Chair said ahead of the visit: “As a family we seem to have struck the right balance, for us. There are many challenges facing family farms like ours and economies of scale increasingly disfavours the smaller setup both financially and practically, especially when finding those ‘marginal margins’ are ever more important to achieving financial stability.

“For generations, farmers have safeguarded these dairy farms across Wales and have passed the traditional family farms from one generation to the next. The history of our most familiar food is clear to see with hundreds of milk stands standing guard over farm lanes and entrances across the countryside.”

Being a keen advocate of transferring skills to the next generation, Brian and the family have offered student placement to nearly 20 agricultural youngsters from Coleg Gelli Aur Agricultural College. 

“Ensuring the next generation is given the best opportunity possible to work within this fantastic dairy sector is fundamentally important to me. It’s not only a farm business, it is a way of life.

“Over the years the industry has not been shy in progressing and enhancing farm practices to improve the herd to maximise milk production, to boost efficiency and the welfare of these much respected animals.”

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) survey into producer numbers in April 2024 reports a 6% decrease in dairy producers compared with the previous year. Yet, the volume of milk produced per farm continued to increase. As an industry we are evolving to having fewer but larger milk producers. What are the implications of this trend on our family farms in Wales? 

Dai Miles, FUW Deputy President said: “As a Union, we continue to remind the Welsh Government and others that our traditional family dairy farms need support to future proof their businesses and infrastructure with affordable and innovative solutions to overcome the plethora of challenges facing the industry and be an attractive career for the next generation. 

“These family farms are the backbone of not only other small businesses but the glue that holds the community, schools, chapels, village halls, shops and local pubs together. These farms are also places where the traditional skills of farming are passed on and where Welsh language, culture and rural skills are safeguarded.

“One huge achievement the FUW played a fundamental role in successfully lobbying for in recent years is the new legislation to safeguard milk producers.

“The Fair Dealing Obligations (Milk) Regulations 2024 was introduced this July with a one year period of transition for existing milk contracts to become compliant with the new rules. This is certainly a positive step forward for the sector that will help stamp out unfair contractual agreements.”

Following the farm visit, at the annual Eve of Dairy Show dinner hosted by FUW and FUW Insurance Services Ltd, Shelagh Hancock First Milk CEO will address some of the key topics facing industry and giving us an insight to her optimism towards the future, not only for First Milk and its members, but for the sector as a whole.

The Welsh Dairy Show, held at the United Counties Showground in Nantyci, Carmarthen on Tuesday 22 of October gives the sector the opportunity to bring farmers, processors, co-operatives, businesses, sector leaders, unions and Government together to discuss the state of the dairy industry, look back on the year and plan for the year ahead. 

Budding photographers from across Wales have left the FUW’s headquarters full of wonderful rural life images in recent weeks. 2025’s annual calendar image entries have been sorted and judged with a wonderful family image of North Country Cheviot sheep pictured underneath a budding tree taking the top prize.

Emily Jones from Penuwch is delighted that her winning image will be featured on the front cover of the FUW’s 2025 calendar, which will be available FREE of charge from FUW’s county offices and at the Royal Welsh Winter Fair on the 24 and 25 of November.

The top prize of £250 will be presented to Emily on the first day of the Winter Fair with the eleven other photographers’ entries featured on the 2025 calendar named, sent a bilingual copy and an FUW beanie hat.

Those featured this year are: Greta Hughes, Jamie Smart, Heledd Williams, Annie Fairclough, Chloe Bayliss, Steven Evans Hughes, Marian Pyrs Owen, Beca Williams, Richard Walliker, Erin Wynne Roberts and Anne Callan.

FUW President Ian Rickman said: “The competition has proven extremely popular yet again this year and I was delighted to look through over 100 entries of wonderful rural images. The standard was high and it was no easy task dwindling them down to just twelve. 

“I think we’ve captured the very best of what rural Wales has to offer, from cute looking miniature donkeys and piglets, a highland cow profile for March with a stunningly detailed close up of a hare face for the beginning of the year to a pink sunset in rural Wales. 

“This year we’ve awarded a drone image of machinery at work for October, a traditional hand shearing competition features in August ending with an eerie winter wonderland image near an estuary to end the year. The calendar encapsulates the calendar months and some striking, colourful and atmospheric images.

“This competition has highlighted that farming matters to all of us in one way or another and our Welsh family farms are vital as food producers, countryside stewards, wildlife supporters, technical innovators and vital to safeguard traditional skillsets.

“Congratulations to all the winners and thank you for taking the time to capture these images, for showcasing farming and our wonderful countryside in such a skilled way,” Ian Rickman concluded.

The calendars will be available from your local county office and from the FUW stand at the Royal Welsh Winter Fair.

As the closed period for spreading slurry on most Welsh farms kicks in (15 October), Huw Irranca-Davies, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, has announced plans to make short-term amendments to the Cross Compliance Verifiable Standards related to the Control of Agricultural Pollution ‘NVZ’ regulations.

Speaking in response to the announcement, FUW President Ian Rickman said: “Over recent months, we have made it abundantly clear to the Cabinet Secretary that challenges were clearly on the horizon for Welsh farmers who cannot comply with these regulations due to matters outside of their control, and many now find themselves in this impossible situation. At the time, we requested an urgent update on this matter and for exemptions to be clearly outlined within the Cross Compliance documentation.

“The FUW therefore welcomes the announcement by the Cabinet Secretary as it offers a lifeline for the 800 or so farming businesses that have applied for infrastructure grant support, and the plethora of others that continue to face other challenges, such as delays in planning applications and the availability of building contractors.”

The statement says: ‘if any farmers are concerned they will not have the required capacity to safely store their slurry during the closed period and have taken all available actions to prevent the need to spread when it is inappropriate to do so, including during the closed periods, they should contact NRW to identify appropriate mitigating actions to minimise the risk of pollution…’

The Welsh Government intends to publish revised Cross Compliance Verifiable Standards by the end of the month. This will include more proportionate penalties where full assessments of records can be made and where technical non-compliances do not present a pollution risk, and penalties will be reduced for those who have undertaken reasonable steps to meet the new storage requirements but which are not currently compliant up until 1 August 2025.

“We have heard of many farmers receiving penalties over recent months due to errors within an overly-complex spreadsheet that do not necessarily present a pollution risk in the real world. We therefore welcome the fact that breaches applied since 2021 will be reviewed based on the amended standards.

“This announcement will certainly ease the stress and mental health pressure on a number of Welsh farmers over the coming months, and the Union is committed to working with both the Welsh Government and Dr Susannah Bolton on reviewing these regulations for the greater good of the industry and the quality of our waters in Wales“, concluded Ian Rickman.

The Farmers’ Union of Wales has fully endorsed the recommendation made by the Commission for Welsh speaking Communities on agricultural policy in its report on ‘Empowering communities, strengthening the Welsh language’ that was published at Rhondda Cynon Taf’s National Eisteddfod.

Following input from the FUW during its development, the report recommends that: ‘the Welsh Government should ensure that the Welsh language is a central consideration in agricultural policy. There should be support for the family farm, and the principle of the importance of the family farm should be reflected in other policies such as environmental policy.’

FUW President Ian Rickman said: “The Farmers Union of Wales’ vision is to have a community of thriving, sustainable, family farms in Wales. These family farms, living and working within their communities, are the backbone of Wales’ rural areas and economy.”

County agricultural shows and social organisations and charities such as Wales’ Young Farmers Clubs and Urdd Gobaith Cymru’s adrannau and aelwydydd clubs underpin the sustainability of the Welsh language, heritage and culture.

“As the report’s authors, commissioned by the Welsh Government, describe 43.1%* of the agriculture, forestry and fishing industries’ workforce speak Welsh, the highest proportion of Welsh speakers in all sectors of economic activity in Wales.

“The Commission's recommendation aligns categorically with our belief that the Welsh language should be a central consideration in the development of agricultural and environmental policy, particularly in the makeup of a ‘social value’ payment through the proposed Sustainable Farming Scheme.

“Any proposals for future policy which compromise Welsh farm businesses, farming communities or Welsh agriculture in general would represent a significant threat to the industry within which the greatest percentage of Welsh speakers is preserved,” Ian Rickman concluded. 

* Census 2021 data 

The Farmers’ Union of Wales has welcomed an announcement from the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, that the Bovine TB Eradication Programme Board has now been established.

This news completes the revised governance structure following the formation of the Bovine TB Technical Advisory Group earlier this year.

FUW Deputy President and dairy farmer, Dai Miles said: “We welcome the news that the Programme Board has been established following the formation of the Technical Advisory Group earlier this year and that letters of appointment have been sent.

“With strong representation from farmers and industry bodies, including the FUW, the group will work closely with the Technical Advisory Group and provide strategic advice to Huw Irranca-Davies on the eradication of bovine TB in Wales.”

The Farmers' Union of Wales is currently enjoying the Eisteddfod at Parc Ynys Angharad Island, Pontypridd this week.

Visitors and eisteddfod goers are warmly welcomed to a jam packed week at the FUW stand on the maes which includes cookery demonstrations and tasting sessions, an agricultural quiz, a discussion about the wool industry and musical entertainment around farm safety with the much loved country singer, Welsh Whisperer.

FUW Deputy County Executive Officer for Gwent and Glamorgan, Gemma Haines, said: “As a native of this area who has rekindled my Welsh language skills, being part of the FUW’s arrangements for this national Eisteddfod event has been very exciting.

"We are keen to bring a piece of rural life to Pontypridd this week to remind local residents, families and visitors where their food comes from.

"We will share key messages about the importance of food quality and security plus we will remind visitors how to care and behave wisely in the countryside. We will also share some farm safety messages in the form of some musical entertainment.

"Farmers and landowners are countryside ambassadors, and by bringing Tegwen our colourful cow to the Eisteddfod, we hope to promote our work whilst offering tea, coffee and cold drinks to people and families while they rest, chat and relax on our stand. The FUW stand can be a destination to pause, rest weary legs and take five minutes from the hustle and bustle of the Festival, while the youngsters enjoy some activities.

“For this county, It is a great privilege to welcome the Eisteddfod here. The preparation work and the fundraising by our communities over months and years has been incredible and the culmination of all the work will pay off this week. Pop along to our stand during the week to visit us," said Gemma Haines.

The week's programme of activities at the FUW stand include:

Monday 5.8.24

10.30 "Our agricultural journey" a panel discussion with former FUW President, Glyn Roberts; Deputy President, Dai Miles; Natalie Hepburn and Heather Jones.

11:30 Natalie Hepburn from Garlic Meadow creates soap

13:00 Cheese tasting, thanks to sponsorship from Calon Wen company

14:00 Cooking using dairy products with chef, Aneira from Cwm Farm Shop

Tuesday 6.8.24

10.30 Women's Institution - Presentation An end to violence against women

14:00 Creating Welsh cakes with Aneira from Cwm Farm Farm Shop and a talk by The DPJ Foundation charity

Wednesday 7.8.24

10.00 Gareth Jones, Head of Members Engagement at the Wool Board gives an overview about Welsh wool

13:00 The future of the wool industry in Wales, with Gareth Jones and farmer, Anwen Hughes

14:00 Art and craft for children using sheep's wool

Thursday 8.8.24

10.00 Rhian Pierce from the RSPB discussing birds on our farms and sharing nature crafts and activities for children and youngsters

11:30 Cooking demonstration with Welsh chef and food expert, Nerys Howell

13:30 Presentation by Lee Oliver from Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust Cymru

14:30 Cooking demonstration with Welsh chef and food expert, Nerys Howell

15:30 Rhian Pierce from the RSPB discusses birds on our farms and sharing nature crafts and activities

Friday 9.8.24

11.00 Family agricultural quiz and The DPJ Foundation charity visit the stand

An afternoon of crafts and pom pom with Mari Anne

Saturday 10.8.24 Cooking demonstration with Welsh chef and food expert, Nerys Howell

An afternoon of crafts