NFU CYMRU members in Carmarthenshire recently met on farm with Llanelli Assembly Member, Lee Waters.
The meeting, hosted by dairy farmer Hefin Daniel at Llwyntew Farm, near Llannon, was an opportunity for members to discuss a number of current and relevant issues with Lee, including TB, Brexit and precision agriculture.
Speaking at the meeting, NFU Cymru Carmarthenshire County Chairman, Garry Williams said: “I’m grateful to Lee for coming out to meet with us today. Inevitably a lot of today’s discussion has centred around Brexit, which is now only 18 months away.
“For farmers in Wales, our forthcoming departure from the EU has ushered in a period of uncertainty and upheaval. We are very keen to avoid a cliff edge Brexit which could be very disruptive to our trading relationship with our largest and nearest export market, whilst at the same time potentially opening up our own domestic market to imported food produced to lower standards than those we adhere to.
“We need to ensure continuity of access to our export markets, without incurring tariff and non-tariff barriers, whilst ensuring we do not enter into trade deals, which see inferior products coming into this country.”
Garry added: “I of course realise that the Welsh Government and the National Assembly are not in the driving seat when it comes to Brexit, but I very much welcome the recognition in the Welsh Government/Plaid Cymru document on Brexit, of the particular vulnerability of Welsh agriculture to a ‘cliff edge’ Brexit.”
The meeting also covered TB with Hefin Daniel describing his own experience of TB to Lee. Mr Daniel said: “A new dairy set-up five years ago represented a significant investment on the part of the business. Unfortunately however, my business is currently being hamstrung by the TB situation, which has seen me lose over 100 cattle to the disease in the last decade. The loss of the cattle, their milk production and future calves in what seems to be a never ending story is a real challenge for the business to absorb. The continual cycle of TB testing is also very time consuming, and I estimate that since the beginning of this year alone, I have spent a month of my time just TB testing cattle. I’m really pleased that Lee has been able to join us today to see for himself the real problems that TB causes in his constituency.”
Precision agriculture, in which Mr Waters in himself very interested also came up for discussion, with Garry Williams commenting: “I’m really pleased to see Lee taking a keen interest in precision agriculture and farm technology. On my own farm I am making greater use of technology to take my business forward, and I know farmers across Wales are making greater use of precision techniques and technology as a means of making their own farms more productive. I think Lee’s suggestion that we could look to home grow more of the technology we need, through looking to set up a precision agriculture centre for excellence in Wales is a really good one.”
Garry concluded: “I’m most grateful to Lee for coming out to meet with us today. It’s been a really informative exchange of views and I look forward to further constructive meetings with Lee.”
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