Farmers need to be involved in marketing
"Farmers must look towards getting more involved in marketing and adding value to their produce if they are to realise its full value," that's according to the newly elected Chairman of NFU Cymru's Food and Marketing Group, John Davies following a recent meeting.
Mr Davies, a beef and sheep farmer from Powys continued, "As we move away from direct subsidies it is imperative that farmers gain a greater understanding of the supply chain and do all they can to maximise their returns from the market place."
Dr Helen Ferrier, NFU Chief Science and Regulatory Affairs Adviser spoke to the members present at the meeting held recently at NFU Cymru Headquarters in Builth about food law, food hygiene regulations and how the regulations were practically relevant to the regulations covered in Cross-Compliance. Those present agreed that Welsh farmers had nothing to fear from meeting cross-compliance regulations but the worry lay in the way they were interpreted, with the drive for verifiable standards leading to more inspections of paperwork.
John Davies said, "As farmers we are all for consumer protection and food safety and I believe Welsh farmers have been reaching the required and highest standards for years now. What does concern me, however, is the burden of paperwork and inspection that will come with compliance. The industry is already subjected to a large quantity of inspections which need to be combined to avoid repetition which is costly to all concerned."
NFU Cymru Policy Adviser, John Mercer said, "NFU Cymru is very concerned about the extra burden being placed on farmers and the so-called regulatory creep. Let's take a pragmatic risk-based approach, reduce the bureaucracy and let Welsh farmers get back to what they do best which is producing the highest quality and safest produce in the world."
Mr Gunther Kostyra, the Head of Sustainable Procurement Policy for Value Wales, within the Welsh Assembly Government, also addressed the meeting. Mr Kostyra informed members of the work done by the Welsh Assembly within the sustainable procurement programme and its work to help smaller businesses in Wales compete for public contracts, taking into account sustainability issues such as food miles and freshness of product. Mr Kostyra said, "Annual procurement expenditure in Wales is in excess of £4bn with annual food expenditure at £60m. Although public procurement has to be transparent and fair, the Welsh Assembly Government is doing all it can to make the tendering process open to small agri-food businesses in Wales."
John Davies said, "We welcome the approach the Welsh Assembly Government is taking and there is a huge market within Wales that we as farmers must try and tap into in order to raise our returns. The challenge for us, as a union, is to play our part in conjunction with the Assembly, to continue to help, advise and make tendering for these public sector contracts as simple and feasible as possible."
