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Jonathan Edwards MP - furthest left - with FUW delegation members - from left - including Pembrokeshire’s grand council delegate David Miles, Emyr Jones, Dei Davies; Brian Thomas; Elfyn Llwyd MP; Eifion Huws and Brian Walters.[/caption]
The Farmers' Union of Wales has raised the serious concerns of dairy farmers with Welsh MPs at Westminster and today called on milk producers to attend an emergency meeting later this week in Carmarthenshire with local politicians and deputy agriculture minister Alun Davies.
FUW president Emyr Jones and other members of his presidential team will attend the emergency meeting at the White Hart, Llandeilo, on Thursday (July 19) at 7pm.
"The union strongly supports this meeting and urges dairy farmers facing farmgate milk price cuts and ever-increasing production costs to turn up and put their points of view directly to the Minister," said Mr Jones.
The meeting was called by Carmarthen East and Dinefwr MP Jonathan Edwards and AM Rhodri Glyn Thomas who expressed concern that the number of dairy farmers in Wales had halved in the last 13 years and their fears that the current crisis will add to the demise of the dairy industry.
Mr Jones led a deputation of union leaders when farming unions last week took part in a summit meeting in London to fight the milk price cuts.
On the same day the deputation also met Welsh MPs Albert Owen (Anglesey), Elfyn Llwyd (Dwyfor Meirionnydd) and Mr Edwards.
"We urged them to give active consideration to what future action needs to be taken to help the survival of dairy farms which, according to the latest Welsh Government statistics, have reduced in Wales by over 800 from 2,727 in 2006 to 1,908 last year," said Mr Jones.
"They promised to support our cause and agreed with us that it is essential for the dairy industry to stand together at this critical time."