NFU Vice-President answers Ceredigion farmers concerns

"Food labelling is in urgent need of Government intervention and the NFU proposes that labels should state far more clearly the country of origin rather than the place of packing which is currently preferred," said Paul Temple, NFU Vice President when speaking to Ceredigion farmers recently.

Mr Temple was responding to Ceredigion NFU Cymru County Chairman, Richard Tudor's statement that the information farmers give to retailers in terms of their product is certainly not reflected in the information that retailers give to consumers.

Richard Tudor said, "The traceability, animal welfare and environmental guarantees that farmers pass on to processors and retailers through quality assurance schemes is not passed onto the consumer as they get a label which confuses rather than clarifies the provenance of the produce they are buying."

Mr Temple, a beef farmer from East Yorkshire, agreed and concluded, "The small simple alteration of stating more clearly the country of origin would cost nothing to government but would end the confusion that currently surrounds food labelling."

Ceredigion farmers recently met with Paul Temple, NFU Vice President, to discuss current local agricultural issues on the farm of John Owen near Aberaeron. Discussions at the meeting mainly focused on the current problems in the red meat sector as well as the food labelling issue.