A positive and clear message

TO introduce myself, my name is Rhodri Thomas and I am the NFU Cymru/ NFU Mutual Group Secretary based in the Carmarthen office.

I work with a team of seven staff. We have a dedicated financial expert who, along with the team, is able to offer advice and assistance from insurance to pensions, investments through to the multiplicity of issues that can affect a farming business.

We are here to offer that personal local service which has served our members and customers for years previously.

On a personal level, I hail from a large farming family and am only too well aware of the problems facing our farming industry.

My 96-year-old grandfather still reminds me of the good old days of the Milk Marketing Board, churns and milk stands! Mind you, he’ll also remind me of the fact that he walked 12 miles to school every day, and back, the mileage grows every time he tells me!

To be serious, it is an absolute privilege to work for the NFU and NFU Mutual.

There has never been a time when the farmer’s voice needed to be heard so loud and clear, with the huge uncertainty of Brexit hanging over us all, from farming to business generally.

It is crucial that as an agriculture industry we come together and present a positive and clear message to all those involved in the Brexit decision making process.

The NFU represents farmer members in Cardiff, London and Brussels, and I would urge any farmer who is not a member to come along and join us so that the NFU’s voice is even stronger.

Some of the other lobbying groups involved in Brexit can boast large memberships and we need all the members we can get to mount the strongest possible case for the farming industry. Brexit, in whatever form, will take us into uncharted territory.

Becoming a member would offer more than just a stronger voice in that you would have access to experts in hundreds of specific areas of agriculture and also some superb discounts through our affinity deals.

All that said, I cannot think of a more resilient industry than farming and I am sure that we will survive and flourish no matter what is thrown at us.