Call to action on future of farming in Wales
Farmers have received an insight into the shape of things to come for their industry if Welsh Government adopts recommendations by a new review panel.
Addressing the annual meeting of NFU Cymru Anglesey county branch, Dr Haydn Edwards, Chairman of the Food and Farming Sector Panel, said he was confident that the Welsh Government would respond positively to the recommendations that will be announced in a year’s time. The review body has been set up by Welsh Government to examine and advise on ways of dealing with any potential problems that could affect Wales’ production of food.
Dr Edwards said, "Our three target priorities are the economic agenda to create and retain jobs, improvements in Government Procurement, and promoting awareness of Food from Wales. We shall also be including the relationship between government and the retail sector and major structural issues such as beef and milk processing capacity.
"There are several pressing current issues such as the rise in farm input costs and variable and unpredictable market prices, food production versus environmental needs, Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform, imbalance of home production set against home demand, the financial crisis and fluctuating pound-euro and dollar-euro rate values.
"We face a number of immense challenges that we will have to tackle for the sake of future generations. Indeed, these go beyond our borders and include the projected increase in world population to nine billion by the year 2050, the threats to security of food, energy and water, the risk of a two degree increase in temperature through climate change and the need for transition to sustainable agriculture, all of which will have likely repercussions for us in Wales," Dr Edwards said.
Echoing concerns from the audience, NFU Cymru President Ed Bailey said the greening issue in particular had vexed farmers as they could not see the sense in setting aside seven per cent of land, thereby taking it out of food production at a time when the number of mouths to feed was going up.
Mr Bailey said, "I am optimistic about the future, particularly if we can see the results of the work by Dr Edwards and his panel being put into action, and I also believe we can do something about the immediate issue of greening, given the overwhelming arguments in favour of increasing food production. The other question of concern is the transition from historic to area based payments and we will continue our fight to make the redistribution fair to everyone. In addition, the work we have done as food producers to rebalance the CAP reform will cushion the impact of the changes. Consequently, I believe I am reflecting the optimism I hear being expressed more and more each day by young farmers in Wales who are going from strength to strength."
Members at the annual meeting confirmed the new office holders as Mrs Christine Jones, Chair, Mr Richard Roberts, Deputy Chair, Mr Peredur Hughes, Treasurer and Mr William Edwards as NFU Cymru Anglesey’s Welsh Council delegate.
