The Pembrokeshire team of the Farmers’ Union of Wales enjoyed a successful county show and discussed with local politicians the most urgent farming matters, including funding for the sector, the Sustainable Farming Scheme, cost of production across farm businesses and bovine TB.
FUW Pembrokeshire County Executive Officer Rebecca Voyle said:
“We enjoyed a successful two day event at the county show and met with a variety of politicians to discuss those issues which are affecting our members here in Pembrokeshire. The weather this year has left farmers facing potential problems with the supply of livestock feed for this coming winter, with the quantity and quality of harvest being poor in many cases. In addition, the quality of grain being harvested in the area is lower than usual, which in turn has a knock-on effect for the supply chain.
“The poorer quality of feed stocks for livestock will mean that we will need to supplement their feed during the winter. The extra cost of supplementary feeding will be borne by the farmer and that’s on top of increased production costs and cost of living crisis which have impacted farming communities quite badly.”
Addressing the Sustainable Farming scheme, Union officials were clear that whilst some good progress had already been made, there are some issues that continue to present barriers and potentially make the scheme inaccessible for many farmers in Wales.
FUW Pembrokeshire County Chair Gerwyn Williams said:
“The FUW is very much involved in shaping this vital scheme and during our meetings here at the show we acknowledged that whilst the scheme framework has significantly changed and reflects many of the issues we have been lobbying on since the Brexit and our Land consultation back in 2018, there are still some issues which we need to work through with the Welsh Government.
“For example, the current proposals lack support for renewable energy generation, succession planning and there is still no tailored scheme for new/young entrants. In addition, we also reminded both the First Minister and Agriculture Minister that when it comes to carbon sequestration, other options aside from trees must be considered as part of the solution to that issue which affects all of us.”
The union also used the opportunity to highlight current bovine TB issues with both the First Minister, Mark Drakeford, and the Minister for Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths. Current areas of concern, such as the proposed ban on feeding unpasteurised milk to calves in breakdown herds and the economic and welfare costs of TB testing requirements, were discussed.
FUW Deputy Head of Policy, Dr Hazel Wright, said:
“Farms in Pembrokeshire remain at the forefront of the fight against bovine TB in Wales. Many of the issues we discussed with the Minister will now be examined by the new TB Technical Advisory Group and we look forward to working closely with that group in order to ensure that bovine TB policy better reflects the realities of living and working with this disease on farm.
“Other issues, such as the future of TB compensation and future risk-based trading rules remain top priorities for the FUW and we have repeatedly expressed our commitment to working with the government on these issues which have huge implications for farmers in Wales.”
In addition to raising concerns with politicians at the show, the Pembrokeshire team also put a focus on farm safety. There were many activities for children visiting the FUW stand, including a children’s area where those under the age of 11 were encouraged to enter a health and safety competition to win Polly, the cuddly pig.
There was also an opportunity for members to discuss their concerns with Union staff and the insurance team or to simply sign-up to the counties 200 Plus Club and have the opportunity to win one of the quarterly cash prizes of £60, £30 or £20 for just £5 per year!