August 2009 Archives

The treasurer of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society (RWAS) and a farmer's wife have been appointed new area officers in Powys by the Farmers' Union of Wales.

Fifty-one-year-old David Powell, of Y Fan, Llanidloes, was made RWAS' joint honorary treasurer in 2004 and honorary treasurer three years later. He will cover Radnorshire for FUW Insurance Services.

Farmer's wife Julie Phillips, 30, of Upper Chapel, Brecon, was a Lantra administrator for eight years before joining the FUW. She will cover Breconshire.

Mr Powell was employed by HSBC Bank since leaving school and was their senior commercial manager, based at Llandrindod Wells, before he joined the FUW.

FUW business development director Emyr James said both appointments will boost the union's image in Powys and give further support to the good work of the union's county executive officer Aled Jones.

"FUW Insurance Services are now insurance brokers in their own right. We use a panel of agricultural insurance providers to ensure members receive the best possible protection at a competitive price.

Welsh consumers were urged today to continue backing the Farmers' Union of Wales "Buy The Welsh One" campaign after Defra secretary Hilary Benn called for a "radical rethink" of the way food is produced in Britain if farmers are to feed a growing population.

"I believe that here in Wales we have already shown Mr Benn the way he should be going," said FUW president Gareth Vaughan, commenting on Defra's launch of the UK's first food security strategy.

"We have discovered consumer purchase power is a valuable tool in elevating the status of locally sourced, sustainably produced Welsh food which goes part of the way to addressing food security in Wales.

"Food provenance is known to add value to products such as Welsh Beef and Welsh Lamb - which both have Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status - yet approximately 49% of consumers remain uninformed about provenance issues.

"Through appropriately targeted awareness and information campaigns such as ''Buy The Welsh One'', consumers should be encouraged to consider the security of the food items they purchase.

"It is vitally important to reconnect people with the food they consume and to remind the consumer that, due to rising population numbers, food security is as important an issue today as it was during the rationing imposed throughout the Second World War.

"In order for consumers to be able to make a more informed decision, research must be targeted to determine the most sustainable methods of food production and to find the optimum balance between welfare, sustainability and production levels.

"Furthermore, it is essential that the Government leads by example by sourcing locally based, sustainable produce for use in the public sector."

Mr Vaughan added that the FUW continues to promote the high welfare, sustainability and environmental ethics inherent in Welsh farming.

"However, monetary constraints, lack of knowledge and inappropriate or misleading labelling may cause consumers to make purchases which are both unsustainable and which promote food insecurity.

"Little public attention is offered to the rights of the producer. Indeed, the definition of food security presented by Defra states that food security ''means consumers having access at all times to sufficient, safe and nutritious food''.

"Whilst the ability of the consumer to afford the produce is paramount, no attention is given to those producing the food and the necessity of making a profit from agri-production. Any action or solution employed to increase food security must have a workable basis on the ground level and must also allow producers to earn a living from food production.

"Welsh farmers are placed under some of the toughest welfare and environmental legislation in Europe and this elevates the cost of production. The UK agriculture industry requires the consumer to recognise that sustainable food production is costly and that cheaper imports do not necessarily offer the same degree of food security as locally sourced produce.

"True food security is dependent on sustainable, and often costly, production methods. It is important that the UK consumer understands that without stability in production there will be a decline in the availability of local, sustainable, ethical produce.

"With this in mind, Welsh food security must firmly remain a responsibility and priority of the Welsh Assembly Government and Welsh farmers must be offered the resources necessary to secure long-term sustainable increases in agricultural production.

"The reform of the Common Agricultural Policy should provide the incentives and mechanisms to encourage agri-production methods which use less water and fuel and which have a lower environmental impact whilst maintaining or increasing current levels of production."

The Scarlets rugby squad made a guest appearance on the Farmers' Union of Wales stand at the National Eisteddfod of Wales in Bala today as part of a tour of the region during their pre-season summer programme.

They mingled with FUW members and supporters, signed autographs and enjoyed a refreshing drink of fresh milk supplied by Wales' leading farmer owned dairy co-operative South Caernarfon Creameries.

"It is most appropriate that the Scarlets should be enjoying milk in the Bala sunshine at the same time as The Dairy Council revealed milk is set to play an increasingly important role in sport as scientific evidence grows that it has a significant effect on recovery after exercise," said FUW milk committee chairman, Anglesey dairy farmer Eifion Huws.

"During the recent Royal Highland Show The Dairy Council decided that it would make milk in sport a major area of activity throughout the rest of this year," said Mr Huws "They will carry out a comprehensive survey among young, aspiring Olympic athletes across the UK to assess the use of milk in their training regimes.

"The Dairy Council will also hold an industry conference later in the year on milk in sport which will coincide with an increasing body of evidence worldwide outlining the benefits of milk after exercise, and its ability to help in the recovery from certain types of injury.

"In fact, as far as rehydration and reducing muscle damage induced by exercise is concerned, milk has been shown to be more beneficial than specially formulated sports drinks - and at a fraction of their cost.

"A recent major study in the United States demonstrated the drinking of chocolate milk was extremely beneficial to athletes and football players. Another study of the benefits of wholegrain cereal and milk concluded that it could be the next ''sports supplement''."

The entire Scarlets playing squad visited the Eisteddfod with a number of the region's North Wales players in attendance. They included new winger Andrew Fenby (originally from Rhos-on-Sea, near Llandudno) who signed for the Scarlets from Newcastle Falcons; back row Rob McCusker (formerly Mold RFC) and centre Rob Higgitt (from St Asaph, Denbighshire and formerly of Ruthin RFC).

It is the first time that the whole squad has travelled as a full group to the National Eisteddfod and the tour is part of a new programme of activity, which will see the Scarlets stars out and about throughout their rugby region on a regular basis.

Today's schedule took them from Parc y Scarlets in Llanelli to Newtown Rugby Club, and on to the main Eisteddfod Maes in Bala. They will return via Aberaeron RFC and Carmarthen for a short social visit and back home to Parc y Scarlets.

Scarlets commercial director Rupert Moon said: "This is part of a programme of activity which will see the Scarlets out and about in our community - stretching far and wide. Today's tour is just the start.

"As a club and region we have a heritage which links closely with the themes and culture of the National Eisteddfod. We have the most Welsh-speaking supporters, proud Welsh roots and traditions as well as direct links between the Eisteddfod and some of the greatest former Scarlets including Robin McBryde and, of course, Ray Gravell."

Donate £1 a week to help save village schools throughout Wales from closure - and you could also win up to £500, Farmers' Union of Wales vice president Glyn Roberts revealed today.

Speaking on the FUW stand at the National Eisteddfod in Bala, Mr Roberts welcomed the Association of Communities in Wales with Small Schools (ACWSS) decision to set up a partnership with a new group "Hyrwyddo Ysgolion Bach - Promoting Small Schools" (HYB).

"With local education authorities and the Welsh Assembly Government devoting huge sums of money to closing small schools, it is important that we fund an independent piece of research that campaigners can use to show hard facts for keeping open small schools and not just anecdotal emotional evidence," said Mr Roberts.

"The HYB group will focus initially on raising funds to carry out a pilot review to identify research already carried out in support of small schools and identify areas for further research in a bid to strengthen the argument for retaining small schools. This may include research on areas where communities have experienced school closure."

The FUW is a member of ACWSS together with the Small Schools Fund, the Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales (CPRW), Merched y Wawr, Wales National Federation of Women's Institutes (NFWI); and Wales Young Farmers Clubs (YFC).

ACWSS chairman Cris Tomos, of the Small Welsh School Fund, said £1 a week from fund members across Wales had now enabled ACWSS to work in partnership with HYB.

"The partnership is utilising the money raised from the £1 a week fund to commissioning an independent expert to carry out research on the effect of education, parental involvement, community services and total taxpayers cost of closing small schools. The details of the research work can be found on the ACWSS website www.acwss.org.uk

"It is great to see people willing to put £1 a week into the draw fund to save small schools but also it is important to note that people can and have won a substantial amount of prize money.

"Since launching the Small Schools fund in 2005 we have paid out prizes worth £12,600 to the members of the fund which is run as a local lottery.

"We now wish to encourage new groups and areas to be part of the fund and groups drawing in new members will get £5 commission per person, so 20 new members by a community group will give them £100 commission as well as helping to obtain research evidence to support small schools.

"The Small School fund is a worthwhile cause to be involved with and we hope the research document will be regarded as independent evidence when communities conduct consultation exercises to save small schools."

Prospective new members need to print off a membership form from the above website address to contribute a £1 a week collected every 13 weeks via standing order. People can also pay by cheque.

For a chance to win ACWSS lottery prizes, and support efforts to save small schools, join the Small School Fund by contacting Cris Tomos on 01239 831962 or see www.acwss.org.uk

For further information about the work of ACWSS contact the secretary, Deb Wozencraft, on 01938 552525.

NOTE TO EDITORS: A picture is attached of the prizewinners of the last Small Schools Fund lottery drawn at the FUW pavilion during the Royal Welsh Show.

CAPTION: The top three winners of the draw - in which 26 people won prize money to the value of £1,400 - were Julie Davies, a housewife from Hermon, who won £500; Gerwyn Jones, head master of Hafodwenog Primary School, who won £300 and Denzil Davies, a farmer from Llanfyrnach, who won £100. All the other winners of this draw and previous draws can be viewed on the ACWSS website