The role of family livestock hill farms is being highlighted at Meirionnydd County Show from today.
Meirionnydd is designated as a Less Favoured Area because of its challenging terrain, but that has not stopped generations of Welsh farmers from running successful businesses in the county, helping to manage the landscape and acting as economic drivers for their local communities.
NFU Cymru will be celebrating the vital contribution of Meirionnydd’s family livestock hill farms at this year’s Meirionnydd County Show at the Rhug Estate in Corwen.
The Union will also use the event as a chance to engage with its Meirionnydd members and encourage them to take part in its consultation for what they would like to see from a future Welsh agricultural policy.
Bedrock of everyday life
Geraint Rowlands, NFU Cymru Meirionnydd County Chairman, said: “Across the county, we have land that has been farmed by the same families for generations and I think that continuity and preservation of rural culture, tradition and sense of place in today’s society is something to be heralded.
"In many instances these rural farm businesses are the bedrock of everyday life in their local communities and responsible for those communities’ financial and social prosperity.
"Livestock farmers in Meirionnydd have an important part to play for a number of reasons. The livestock they rear contribute significantly to food security, but also manage the local habitat and contribute to the quality of a landscape that attracts thousands of visitors every year and underpins the tourism sector.
"Family farms play a vital role for the local economy, too, providing direct employment as well as indirectly supporting a wide variety of local businesses including vets, feed merchants, contractors and many other professions who are reliant on the income they receive from the agricultural industry in their area.
"For many years this economic contribution has been overlooked, but as the agricultural industry looks to enter a post-Brexit era I think it’s crucial that we underline the important role our farming businesses play for the local economy.
"Farmers here in Meirionnydd face some particularly unique challenges and I think it is important that they make their voices heard as NFU Cymru opens its consultation for what the industry needs from a post-Brexit Wales agricultural policy.
"I would encourage all of our local members to contribute their views to this important piece of work."
NFU Cymru will be hosting a number of Brexit roadshows across Wales, including sessions in Aberystwyth and Caernarfon, in the coming weeks.
