Important vendors see their stock in the ring

ALTHOUGH the pandemic is not going away any time soon, there is hope on the horizon with the vaccine rollout going well. I am happy to say I received my first vaccination three weeks ago. I am really looking forward to my second one as hopefully it will mean a bit more normality resuming. Here in Wales we should be proud of how we have stuck to the rules and how low our cases have been in comparison to other countries.

It has been great to see that agricultural buyers and sellers are now able to attend marts. In my opinion, it is so important that vendors can see their stock in the ring as it is the climax of all their hard work and it’s a great way of obtaining feedback and sussing out the markets.

However, I ask that when you attend markets and any other agricultural events that are permitted to go ahead, that you maintain social distancing and wear masks at all times.

Prior to January this year, I was fortunate that I hadn’t lost anyone I knew to the virus. However, that changed when NFU Cymru Glamorgan representative, and more importantly, my friend, Richard Isaac succumbed to the virus. I have not spoken about this before out of respect for his family, and I truly think I have still been in shock. Richard was a fantastic farmer whose eloquence around the red meat sector helped shape our industry. I am incredibly grateful for all the hard work he put in to highlight the challenges within agriculture and he is greatly missed. I really do not want any other members of the community catching this horrible virus and I ask you all to stay safe when attending any agricultural events, such as marts.

Beyond the safety of our farming community, the fact that farmers can still sell at markets is so crucial to businesses all around the county. We need to make sure that the agricultural markets do not close for failing to adhere to social distancing rules – needless to say, any closures would be hugely detrimental to many people’s businesses and therefore we must ensure we comply with the rules set out by the auctioneers.

Finally, I would like to add a small update on a matter of significant importance to farmers across Wales. Earlier this year, NFU Cymru issued proceedings in the High Court for permission to challenge Welsh Government’s introduction of new water quality regulations. As these controls affect every farm in Wales, I know members will be anxious to know the outcome of our legal challenge.

We are currently waiting to establish whether the court has given us permission to proceed with the case, but please be assured I will let you all know as soon as there are any developments.