Farmers in Meirionnydd will be able to air their views on how land drainage issues within their areas should be managed in future at a special meeting organised by the county's Farmers' Union of Wales branch to be held in Dolgellau later this week.

The meeting on Friday evening (July 13) will consider the Welsh Government consultation on the future delivery of the functions of the Internal Drainage Boards (IDBs) and Internal Drainage Districts (IDDs) after a new single environment body has taken over the functions of the Environment Agency Wales, Countryside Council for Wales and Forestry Commission Wales.

The meeting will be held at the FUW's branch office, Ty Mawr, Llys Owain, Dolgellau, at 5.30pm and local AM Dafydd Elis Thomas will be attending at 6.30pm to join in the discussions.

The meeting is be open to any farmer farming within an IDD and further details can be obtained from FUW county executive officer Huw Jones on 01341 422298 orThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Farmers' Union of Wales today threw its support behind the summit meeting against recent milk price cuts imposed on UK dairy farmers taking place in London this Wednesday (July 11).

The union will be represented at the "Dairy Summit" in Central Hall, Storey’s Gate, Westminster - when dairy farmers from all parts of the UK will join Defra agriculture minister Jim Paice and representatives from the NFU, NFU Scotland, Farmers for Action, Tenant Farmers Association and Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers - by its milk and dairy produce committee chairman Dei (CORRECT SPELLING) Davies, of Holywell, Flintshire, as well as other prominent FUW leaders.

The public meeting will discuss the recent decision by major dairies to slash their farmgate prices for milk.

It will also consider what future action to take 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.

“It is essential that the dairy industry stands together at this critical time, and we would encourage all those who are able to to show solidarity and support the meeting in Westminster,” said Mr Davies.

Commenting on the latest round of farmgate price cuts, Mr Davies said: “In addition to those substantial reductions in prices for farmers on liquid milk contracts, there has also been a sharp rise in feed costs which are already at historically high levels.”

Mr Davies said that meetings to discuss the crisis between the FUW and the major Welsh milk collectors had already been arranged.

"However, the event in London will give the industry the opportunity to highlight to the public and government the danger that these latest cuts pose to the long term survival of Wales’ dairy industry.”

Deputy agriculture minister Alun Davies' "Stocktake" of the much-criticised Glastir agri-environment scheme was described as a step in the right direction by the Farmers' Union of Wales today.

"While we would have liked him to have gone further on some other aspects of the scheme, we welcome the focus improving communications at all levels of the scheme," said FUW land use and parliamentary committee chairman Gavin Williams.

"It is a step in the right direction and we look forward to working with Welsh Government to get the right messages across to farmers, bearing in mind that communication and engagement is a two-way process."

Delivering his "Stocktake Report" in the Senedd earlier, Mr Davies accepted previous criticism of a lack of communication in delivering details of the scheme.

But he said he is determined to make Glastir more accessible by changing the various terms used to describe the different elements of the scheme.

Stressing the current payment rates were fair to both farmers and taxpayers, he acknowledged the rates would be reviewed periodically but an annual review would be "costly and cumbersome and probably not in the best interests of the scheme".

Mr Williams said: "Apart from this major communications plan, there are very few proposed changes to the scheme and most of those will be introduced under the next Rural Development Plan anyway.

"However, it is hoped, when the  changes introduced following the Rees Roberts review have had the opportunity to bed in properly, farmers will revisit the scheme and make informed decisions on whether it is for them or not.

"Glastir will ultimately be judged by its uptake," added Mr Williams.

[caption id="attachment_3826" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Dei Davies[/caption]

The Farmers' Union of Wales today described Robert Wiseman Dairies' decision to once again slash its farm-gate milk price as an utter disgrace and a devastating blow to the industry.

"This decision will have a devastating effect on dairy producers and family run dairy farms in particular will be feeling the hit," said FUW milk and dairy produce committee chairman Dei (CORRECT) Davies, of Holywell, Flintshire.

"The announcement of a 1.7ppl drop by Wisemans following the reported 2ppl drop by Wisemans, Dairy Crest and other suppliers in April this year blatantly shows that current dairy contracts are far from working and that processors are not being held accountable," added Mr Davies.

"From August this year, Wiseman Dairies will only be paying a standard litre price of 24.73ppl, which is around 5ppl below the cost of production."

Wiseman have blamed the price cut on a collapse in the value of cream. However, failings in the dairy supply chain mean that such lower market returns are mainly being felt by the producer.

The delay in passing higher market returns back to the producer only serves to further disadvantage milk producers and has led to an unsustainable situation, Mr Davies stressed.

"Large retailers continue to use milk as a 'loss leader' and this has led to farm-gate prices which are less than the cost of production.  Farmers are in an intolerable position.  There isn't enough profit for livelihood, let alone for investment.

"We are going back to a downward spiral of farm-gate milk prices and the industry needs to look at the issue of milk contracts more seriously.

"Why should our dairy farmers have to carry the burden of falling milk prices again and again? These companies are playing Russian roulette with our dairy industry and if this carries on there won't be a dairy industry for much longer.

"Dairy producers are being put into an impossible situation. It is about time that the Government intervenes as a matter of urgency to ensure that we have a dairy industry in the future," added Mr Davies.