The Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW), in cooperation with the DPJ Foundation and police forces across Wales, is putting the spotlight on an increase in domestic violence in all of our communities since the Covid 19 restrictions came into place last year.

There are many consequences of domestic abuse, including the development of anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions, and the FUW made a commitment to keep the spotlight on mental health issues for as long as it remains a problem in our rural communities and the last 12 months have been tough for many.

For many people home is not a place of safety and Covid-19 restrictions have increased the isolation suffered by many which is often exacerbated in our rural communities. It has also been more difficult for victims of domestic abuse to seek help at a time when incidence of domestic abuse has increased, which is even more acute in some of our isolated rural communities.

According to the Crime Survey for England and Wales from March 2020 to 2021 there had been a 7% growth in police recorded domestic abuse crime but support services have seen a bigger rise, with many victims not seeking justice through the criminal justice system. Victim support have seen a 12% increase in the number of domestic abuse cases referred and many charities such as the DPJ foundation have seen an increase in calls regarding domestic abuse over this time. 

Farmers from Ceredigion have raised their concerns around bovine TB and current tree planting targets with local Member of the Senedd, Elin Jones. Hosting the meeting was Farmers’ Union of Wales Ceredigion County Chairman Morys Ioan, who farms with his wife Helen, at Fferm Drefach, Cross Inn, Llandysul. 

The farm has been in the family for over 150 years and Morys is the 5th generation to farm Drefach. Morys and Helen own 24 acres and rent a further 244 acres. They keep 200 sheep and also rear 450 beef calves from dairy herds as stores and finishing cattle. 

Morys has recently come home to run the family farm and a lot of improvements have been made to the land including the planting of 4,000 hedging plants through the Glastir Small Grants scheme. Work has also begun on an approved calf rearing unit on which the farm business will be focusing on for the next 5 years. Working with local dairy farms, Morys is currently working on a way to accommodate the bovine TB situation as part of the business.  

Farmers’ Union of Wales members from Carmarthenshire and Union officials recently discussed critical climate change issues facing the agricultural industry with Deputy Minister for Climate Change, Lee Waters MS.

Union officials acknowledged that given the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the role played by soils and plants in sequestering carbon is attracting significant attention, with a particular focus by the Welsh Government on planting trees.

FUW Carmarthen County Chairman Phil Jones said: “The FUW supports the overall aims of the Welsh Government with regards to environmental issues but we are concerned that a number of recent policy proposals to increase tree planting targets from 2000 hectares per year to 5000 ha/pa could see agricultural funding being diverted towards forestry and woodland with a lack of clarity on the consequences for Wales’ family farms and rural communities.”

Primary school pupils from all over Wales are being invited to enter a Christmas card design themed around farming for the FUW’s Christmas card competition.

The FUW is asking children aged from four to 11 to design a Christmas farming scene for its Christmas cards, which will be sold to raise money for the Union’s charity The DPJ Foundation.

FUW President Glyn Roberts said: “The competition will be split into Welsh language and English language categories. Children can use any media in their entries, such as crayons, coloured pencils, felt tipped pens or paint which must be completed on an A4 sheet of paper and emailed to us in jpeg format.