EARLIER this month, we enjoyed attending a variety of county shows across the country, where #FarmingMatters took centre stage.

It is always good to catch up with members and we enjoyed the wide and varied chats over a cup of tea and the occasional biscuit.

But, it wasn’t just about drinking tea - we have also been busy in our many meetings highlighting why our industry is so important.

Our key messages to decision makers have been clear and strong.

A no-deal Brexit will spell disaster for the farming industry in Wales and we stressed that point again when we met with MPs during the many shows.

No responsible UK Government would allow the UK to leave the EU without a deal and as we have a Prime Minister who is turbo charging preparations for a no-deal Brexit, our work has certainly been cut out for us.

With just over two months to go until we are destined to leave the EU - let’s hope that those in power don’t ignore the warning we have made repeatedly over the last three years.

Indeed, for the family farms of Wales, the communities we support, the future is so impossible to predict that there is massive pressure on all of us.

I can reassure our members that this union really is working hard for them as we are in the middle of a political crisis.

A crisis which is the result of three years of uncertainty, political intrigue and self seeking opportunism - at the expense of the people of the UK.

With that in mind, we share the Welsh Government's concerns regarding the impacts of a no-deal Brexit and welcome the commitment to supporting agriculture.

However, in terms of the Sustainable Farming and our Land consultation, we have major concerns regarding the clash between the October 30 deadline and the date on which we are due to leave the EU, as Brexit disruption is likely to distract attention away from this important consultation document.

As such, the only means by which to ensure that the consultation paper is given the attention it truly deserves is to delay the deadline by a number of months.

Welsh Government has made a welcome commitment to reviewing the deadline as matters develop and we will be doing our utmost to ensure that our farmers get a fair deal for the future - from the UK and Welsh Government.

GLYN ROBERTS

President

Farmers' Union of Wales