NFUs harvest celebration

Harvest time is a time for celebration amongst farmers and NFU Cymru has this week held an event in Cardiff Bay to celebrate and promote the high quality of Welsh food with retailers, industry representatives and Assembly Members.

Ed Bailey, NFU Cymru President said, "This time of year is particularly poignant for farmers as they get the harvest home and it is timely to celebrate all that is great about Welsh food. The food and drink supply chain in Wales employs 230,000 people, that’s 18% of the total Welsh workforce, which makes it the largest combined industry of employment across Wales and collectively it contributes some £6.5bn of sales revenue annually. As suppliers of the raw materials we are delighted to be part of this success story."

NFU Cymru’s celebration of Welsh food took place in the Oriel gallery of the Senedd, in Cardiff Bay. Ed Bailey hosted the lunchtime event which was financially sponsored by the Food, Fisheries and Market Development Division of the Welsh Assembly Government.

Ed Bailey said, "Next week the European Commission will table its plans for a review of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and my hope is that the Welsh Government will use this opportunity in the months ahead to seek to negotiate a refocusing of the CAP back onto food production. This, I see, as a re-orientation of priorities and is in no way intended to compromise what we have and continue to deliver in terms of the environment, food safety and animal welfare but food production must be at the heart of the CAP if we are to avoid in the future exposing our consumers to food shortages and volatile markets."

Alun Davies AM, the Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and European Programmes, and Professor Kevin Morgan from Cardiff University, were the main speakers at the event which gave those present a ’taste’ of what Wales has to offer.

Alun Davies AM told those present that in regards to the CAP negotiations that Ed referred to the Deputy Minister was giving an undertaking, on behalf of the Welsh Government, that during any future negotiations, whether they be in Whitehall or Brussels, or elsewhere, that the Welsh Government would always stand up for Welsh agriculture. The Welsh farming community and the food industry will be heard wherever these discussions take place.

Professor Kevin Morgan used the event to give those present some ’food for thought’ as he explained his concerns relating to the future of the Welsh food industry. Firstly he believed that the Westminster government was not treating the issue of food security as seriously as it should. Secondly, the new price war within the multiple sector, led by Tesco, is being marketed as benefiting consumers but will it be primary producers that pay the cost? Finally, public sector catering has made progress over recent years in sourcing locally but the great threat is that these victories will be washed away overnight under the term ’best value’.

Horticulture students from Northop College, Deeside, were given the task by NFU Cymru to come up with a farming landscape display for the event. The team of students, and their tutor, Nicolette Evans, designed and produced a dramatic display which was made out of trees, fence posts, animal feed, a sheep’s skin and leaves that had been sourced from around Wales.

NFU Cymru would like to thank event sponsor, Carwyn Jones AM, the First Minister.