AM gets lowdown on vital role of farming in Wales
Baroness Eluned Morgan has learnt how farming plays a crucial role in supporting local businesses and communities during a visit to a farm in Carmarthenshire.
In a bid to demonstrate why agriculture and rural communities must be a priority for government when negotiating the UK’s exit from the European Union, the FUW’s Carmarthen county chairman Iwan Price-Davies and his family opened the gates to their home farm Gellirhydd, near Babel, on the outskirts of the Brecon Beacons National Park.
Mr Price-Davies and his family farm 570 acres in the uplands of Carmarthenshire, running a flock of 900 ewes and 300 breeding ewe lambs, as well as 26 suckler cattle.
Gellirhydd is a traditional familyrun farm. However, to top up the income, Iwan’s wife Shirley also works as a practice nurse in Llandovery, while their daughter Rhian is a doctor at Glangwili Hospital – leaving only son Geraint to join his father in working on the farm full-time.
Introducing his farm business, Mr Price-Davies said: “Family farms like ours are at the heart of the rural economy and the community.
“We spend our income locally and, of course, if we have to tighten our belts because of low returns or any other drop in income, it will have repercussions for the businesses we deal with.
“I would love to have Shirley on the farm full-time but because we need a steady, guaranteed income she works as a nurse as well.
“There is just not enough money generated here to sustain three full wages. That’s the reality for the majority of family farms in Wales.”
Mr Price-Davies added: “What we need governments to understand is that Welsh food production sustains tens of thousands of other businesses, from feed merchants, agricultural contractors and engineers to hauliers, processors and retailers.
“For every pound that is generated on a farm, around £6 is spent within the wider economy. This does not just matter to our rural areas, though – food security and jobs security also affects our urban areas.”
The FUW’s deputy president Brian Thomas highlighted how agriculture is facing a tough future – and an uncertain one in light of Britain’s forthcoming exit from European Union.
He said: “We must get government and the general public to understand that if agriculture is thriving it benefits a whole host of other industries as well.
“But what we need are markets to sell our produce to, and we need time to adjust to new policies once we have made an exit from the EU.
Mr Thomas went on: “Through our #FarmingMatters campaign we continue to drive the message home that agriculture is important – not just for us farmers but also for rural and urban businesses and communities.”
Baroness Morgan, who is Assembly Member for Mid and West Wales, also heard how rural depopulation is an increasing problem, with local schools closing and young families leaving the area.
One of the businesses that joined the meeting was Clee Tompkinson & Francis. The firm was established in 1972 as an estate agent, livestock auctioneer and chartered surveyor practice, with three offices.
The firm has now grown to