Farm visit gives AM about the uncertain
Farmers and rural businesses came together to highlight some of the challenges they are facing when they met with Llanelli Labour AM Lee Waters.
Agricultural support post-2020, devolution, the importance of agriculture to the rural economy and the ongoing problem of bovine TB were among the topics debated at the meeting which was hosted by Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) member Gareth Beynon Thomas at Goitre Fach farm, Hendy, Pontarddulais.
Together with his wife Monica and son Ifan, Mr Thomas farms a total of 600 acres, including 375 acres of owned land, and runs a herd of 250 milking cows, 250 young stock and keeps 250 Berrichon ewes. The couple’s son Rhys works as a local vet and their daughters Sara and Alaw work as secondary school teachers.
Following a tour of the farm, during which Mr Waters saw the milking parlour and livestock, farmers, local businesses and FUW representatives explained the importance of agriculture to the rural economy.
Brian Richards, FUW Carmarthen county president, said: “Family farms in particular are at the heart of our rural economy – as we can see here at Goitre Fach. Farms like these are caring for our landscape, and of course our culture, and they make innumerable other contributions to the wellbeing of Wales and the UK.
“The FUW has long maintained that Welsh food production sustains tens of thousands of other businesses – from upstream businesses such as feed merchants, agricultural contractors and engineers to downstream businesses such as hauliers, processors and retailers, and it is evidenced that for every £1 generated on farm, around £6 is spent in the wider economy.”
He added: “Look at the Waleswide statistics – we have 14,437 sheep farms, 3,054 dairy farms, 8,436 farms on which non-dairy cattle are kept, and 1,255 pig farms.
“And all those farms, no matter how big or small, were together responsible for spending £1.2bn on products supplied by local secondary and tertiary businesses (2014 figures). We must not forget that Welsh agriculture employs 60,000 people in full-time, part-time and seasonal employment.”
Farmers and FUW representatives stressed that irrespective of what trade deals are in place post-Brexit, Welsh farmers will compete against their counterparts in other devolved regions within the UK.
Mr Thomas said the day had been “an excellent opportunity to highlight how essential it is that we have a common policy across the UK which minimises unfair competition and market distortion.”
He added: “We have reiterated the point to Lee Waters that it is essential that a UK agricultural framework is put in place which prevents unfair competition between devolved regions and secures and protects adequate long-term funding for agriculture, while also respecting devolved powers over agriculture.”
On agricultural support, the FUW stressed that post-Brexit support