[caption id="attachment_3795" align="aligncenter" width="500"] MEMORIAL AWARD: Harley-Blue Clarke-Stead receives the Walter Rowlands Memorial Award from his widow Mrs Nesta Rowlands.[/caption]

An animal management student at Pencoed College, near Bridgend, has won the Farmers' Union of Wales Glamorgan county branch Walter Rowlands Memorial Award.

Harley-Blue Clarke-Stead (correct spelling) of Graig-yr-Hufen Farm, Senghenydd, Caerphilly, received the accolade for her excellent work as an agricultural student.

The award consists of a £200 grant to be used towards educational studies and was devised in memory of Walter Rowlands to recognise his hard work during his 29 years' employment with the FUW as a county secretary.

Harley-Blue lives on her family's farm which runs a wide range of livestock which she also helps to manage. She said: "I adore working with animals and wish to pursue a career working in this field.

"As a family we produce our own meat and sausages. We then sell it in the local butchers in Gelligaer and have recently invested in 37 Welsh weaners.

"Throughout the year we slaughter lambs and pigs which are also supplied to local butchers within a 10-mile radius of the farm.

"We use the local slaughterhouse which is five miles away and this cuts down on food miles and fuel costs. This has less impact on the carbon footprint and keeps the cost of production low. It also helps the local businesses to stay open."

During her first year at Pencoed College Harley-Blue did voluntary work teaching children with disabilities to ride horses. "College has given me many options to further my education which will hopefully enable me to pursue a successful career within the agricultural industry," she added.

FUW Glamorgan members, in consultation with members of Mr Rowlands's family, felt Harley-Blue's detailed and outstanding application thoroughly deserved the award.

FUW vice president Lorraine Howells, who presented the award to Harley-Blue along with Mrs Nesta Rowlands and her son Greg Rowlands, said: "The FUW are extremely keen to support budding young farmers through this award and as Harley-Blue is involved in working on the family farm, as well as continuing her studies in Pencoed College, she is the perfect candidate."

Fellow FUW vice president Brian Walters said: "Students like Harley-Blue are the future of Welsh farming especially as she is involved in all aspects, from producing their own meat on the farm to volunteering in the local agricultural shop, where the produce is sold, as well as gaining experience in the local veterinary surgery.

"Harley-Blue is an ambitious and capable student and we wish her all the best with her future studies."

The presentation evening was sponsored by EON and their representative David Foode made an informative and interesting presentation to members about cost-cutting methods on their electricity bills as well as ideas for diversification such as renewable energy options for farmers to consider.

The Farmers' Union of Wales today expressed concern at the potential effect Vion food group's intention to withdraw from its UK operation base could have on the meat production and processing sector in Wales.

Vion is a major purchaser of Welsh Lamb and beef and as well as employing over 12,000 full time equivalent employees across the UK, 3,491 are employed in their four sites across Wales including Anglesey, Merthyr Tydfil and Sandycroft, Flintshire.

FUW livestock, wool and marts committee chairman Dafydd Roberts said: "This announcement will result in uncertainty for the farming industry in Wales who need to know that they participate in a stable supply chain.

"This uncertainty comes as farmers are already facing a winter with high input costs due to a poor growing season. The FUW stresses the need for Vion to provide stability and certainty whilst divesting of its operations in Wales, with no disruption to the supply chain or loss of jobs to the Welsh economy."

Mr Roberts, a beef and sheep farmer on Anglesey, said the move was disappointing, particularly as there had been hopes for further investment at the company's operations on the island. "If they were to close it would be a blow for the whole Welsh meat industry.

"If we lose one of the big ones like Vion then others might take advantage of the farmers. We are quite disappointed they are selling up because we were told they would be improving Anglesey."

Mr Roberts added that the options available to red meat producers in Wales in terms of processing facilities are limited. "The Vion abattoir and processing plants are important elements of the supply chain, enabling farmers in Wales to access supermarket outlets for quality Welsh beef, lamb and poultry products.

"It is essential for the industry to ensure that these routes to market are secured for the long term and the FUW looks forward to hearing of a positive outcome to the Vion UK sales negotiations."

Free professional advice on issues such as rent reviews, tenancy rights, compulsory purchase, renewable energy and rural property will be available to farmers visiting the Farmers' Union of Wales stand at this year's Royal Welsh Winter Fair at Llanelwedd, Builth Wells on Monday and Tuesday November 26-27.

Principal Philip Meade and fellow team members Eifion Bibby and Kathryn Lewis, of Davis Meade Property Consultants, will be available for a free face-to-face consultation on the FUW stand in the Livestock Complex Hall 1 during the event.

"This will be an ideal opportunity for farmers to get an independent opinion on issues that are of concern to them," said Mr Meade.

"Whether it's a simple question on a compensation claim, a more complex tenancy matter or help with a property sale or inheritance tax planning we will be pleased to help."

Drop in on the FUW stand at the Winter Fair or contact Davis Meade Property Consultants on 01691 659658, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Farmers' Union of Wales' animal health and welfare committee has accused the Charity Commission of bringing the nature of charities into disrepute by failing to confront the RSPCA over its threats to farmers.

The claim comes in the same week as RSPCA chief executive Gavin Grant attracted fresh criticism for suggesting in a BBC Panorama documentary that the organisation would "name and shame" those involved in a badger cull in England.

Both Mr Grant and RSPCA vice president Brian May have attracted harsh criticism over recent months following a string of threats against businesses in the English badger cull areas, and calls for a boycott of all UK milk if "badger-friendly" labelling did not appear on dairy products.

"There is no doubt whatsoever that these threats have brought the RSPCA into extreme disrepute amongst farmers and large numbers of the general public" said FUW animal health and welfare committee chairman Catherine Nakielny.

"The RSPCA do extremely important and worthwhile work but the increasing tendency towards extremist rhetoric and threats, which are tantamount to blackmail, undermines all that good work."

Dr Nakielny said that the FUW had written to the Charity Commission repeatedly over the years regarding the RSPCA's use of misleading campaigning and lurch towards extremism but that the commission seemed to have an "anything goes" policy.

"When an organisation becomes this radicalised and openly threatens an entire community then that not only brings the charity into disrepute but also undermines the very principles we all associate with charitable behaviour. It basically brings all registered charities and the body which governs them into disrepute."

In a recent letter, FUW president Emyr Jones told the commission that their "...response to [previous concerns raised by the FUW] and similar complaints have done nothing but encourage the charity to act with impunity, and I am therefore writing to ask, once again, that the Commission take decisive action in relation to the RSPCA's lobbying actions, which have now become extreme to the point of being both aggressive and threatening."

Mr Jones was also harshly critical of the RSPCA chief executive's recent claim in an interview with Farmers Guardian that the charity was "the oldest law enforcement agency still in existence in this country", telling the commission that the comment seemed to epitomise the way in which the RSPCA regarded itself as some form of surrogate police force, rather than a body focused on charitable activities.

Dr Nakielny said "The Charity Commission's response to our President's letter was typically benign towards the RSPCA's recent aggression, to the point where you wonder whether any organisation which is not engaged directly in party political activities might qualify for charitable status, despite our traditional notion that a charity should serve the public good in a reputable way.

"For those thousands who feel intimidated by the RSPCA's escalating threats, the actions of the charity are anything but charitable, yet the Charity Commission seems happy to give such extremism its blessing.

"If the Charity Commission believes that it does not have the powers to effectively deal with such aggression then it should seek to extend its powers."