Minister launches Welsh farming booklet
Welsh Government Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development, John Griffiths, has launched NFU Cymru’s ’Why Farming Matters to the Welsh Environment’ booklet, on-farm in south Wales.
The bilingual booklet explains how Welsh farmers contribute a great deal to maintaining and improving the environment, giving examples of how agriculture in Wales has developed over the past decades into a major force in reducing the impact of climate change, managing the largest upland carbon stores in the UK, contributing to renewable energy generation and mitigating the risk of flood and erosion, all this alongside caring for the health and welfare of animals and producing food for an increasing population.
Mr Griffiths said, "This is a significant document that reinforces the place of agriculture in moving forward measures to protect our environment. It offers clear evidence and insight into how farmers are tackling environmental issues, important to us as a Government in helping to set the environment and sustainability agenda for the future. All of us are aware of the need to work together to progress in an effective and cohesive way in what is, after all, a huge challenge, the outcome of which will impact on generations to come."
NFU Cymru President Ed Bailey said, "This is the official unveiling of a new and revealing document, which shows how diligent farmers are in working intelligently to preserve and improve their land for the benefit of the overall environment. We are launching this document at a very opportune time, given that the Welsh Government consultation on the proposed arrangements for establishing and directing the Single Body have just closed and the consultation on ’Sustaining a Living Wales’ has a deadline for the end of this month. The future working arrangements of the Single Body and the final version of the Green paper will have major implications for farmers in Wales.
"Farmers care for and manage approximately 81 per cent of the land area of Wales. I think we do an excellent job in sustaining the balance between producing food for an ever-increasing and demanding population alongside caring for our environment. The key challenge for the future will be to increase food production whilst minimising our environmental and climate change footprint in doing so," Mr Bailey said.
’Why Farming Matters to the Welsh Environment’ was launched at the home of Mr Walter Simon and his wife Penny at West Orielton, Hundleton. Walter Simon is a Nuffield Scholar and a well-known figure in the potato growing industry.
He has been the managing partner of the family farming enterprise since 1990, which has developed to growing 50 hectares of up to 14 different varieties of potatoes. West Orielton Farm in itself highlights how managing and caring for the environment can sit easily alongside productive agriculture. The farm is part of Tir Gofal and hosts groups of school children so they can learn about agriculture.
Ed Bailey thanked NFU graduate trainee Andrea Witcombe for collating all the information for the document. The booklet is testament to Andrea’s talent and the NFU graduate trainee scheme’s ability to recruit graduates of the highest intellectual calibre and skill.
