ALYN AND DEESIDE MS, Jack Sergeant, and Flintshire farmers recently gathered to discuss the major concerns affecting the sector.
The gathering was held at Beeches Farm in Saltney Ferry.
Members of the Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) voiced several significant concerns regarding the state of Wales’ agricultural industry, and Mr. Sergeant listened to their worries.
The rising input costs, which have climbed dramatically over the previous year, were one of the primary topics considered.
“The cost of feed, fuel, and fertiliser are putting strain on practically all farm operations, and with milk prices beginning to dip recently, it’s a troubling moment,” said John Wrench, a FUW member who organised the event.
The Water Resource (Control of Agricultural Pollution) (Wales) Regulations, in particular the closed time restriction, were brought up as another issue.
Starting in August 2024, spreading slurry will be prohibited during predetermined closed times, regardless of the weather.
Members of the FUW believed that allowing farmers to utilise common sense and accounting for outside variables like rainfall would make these restrictions more effective.
As a result, the FUW has requested that the regulations be postponed so that the Welsh Government can investigate new technical approaches to certain of the regulations.
Concerns over the Sustainable Farming Program and the Agriculture (Wales) Bill were also brought up during the meeting, with FUW Flintshire.
“It is crucial that the Bill offers economic security for family farms in Wales,” said Melvyn Vaughan, county chairman.
Overall, the meeting gave Flintshire farmers a chance to speak with Mr. Sergeant about their concerns and to draw attention to the difficulties the Welsh agriculture sector faces.
The FUW will keep pushing for the interests of farmers across the nation and working to find answers to these problems.
