We’re planning on starting a busy year in right way
THIS is my final column for this year – and what a year it has been! Brexit, funding for agriculture, the havoc caused by the weather, bovine TB and agricultural pollution were just some of the #FarmingMatters that have kept us on our toes.
All the staff at the FUW have been working hard to make sure that the voice of Welsh farmers is heard by our politicians and key decisions makers on all those issues and more.
While you have hopefully all enjoyed a merry Christmas and got to spend some time with family and friends, we are getting ready for a busy 2019.
This new year is going to be a busy one for all of us and we are starting off with the farmhouse breakfast week at the end of January.
In our mind there is no better place for bonding people together and sharing our ideas than over good food – and because we want to continue our work to make sure that the voice of Welsh farming is heard at every level, farms across Wales will open the kitchens (January 21 to 27) for the annual farmhouse breakfast week.
And we want you to be a part of what we do, and share your thoughts and worries about the state of the industry, tell us your stories and help us to understand how we can help each other.
This breakfast campaign gives us an opportunity to promote the quality premium local produce you grow for us every day of the year and throughout breakfast week we will shine a spotlight on the importance of our rural economy together.
Please give us a call in the county office to have a chat about the various breakfast functions we are holding and most importantly - book your seat at our table.
Aside from the many breakfasts arranged across Wales, we will also be holding the annual Farmhouse breakfast in Cardiff on Tuesday, January 22, which is being hosted by AM Llyr Huws Gruffydd.
2019 will of course be a critical year as far as politics is concerned and we have many meetings lined up in the coming weeks, where we will continue to promote why #FarmingMatters and highlight the issues the industry currently faces. Despite all the uncertainty, we are proactive in steering discussions and are actively involved in shaping the decisions which will impact on agriculture’s future.
The co-operation between all industry stakeholders and Welsh Government can achieve great things for Welsh farming if we work collaboratively and that’s exactly what we will continue to do. So on a final thought for this year, I promise you that we are doing our utmost to ensure those who represent us in Cardiff and London do not sit back and wait for the outcome of discussions which ignore our rural areas!