View from NFU Cymru

According to the Met Office, this May was the wettest since 1862 (or 159 years).

Victoria was queen and the Liberal Henry John Temple was Prime Minister (for the second time).

In the same year, across the pond in the United States, on the 15th of May President Abraham Lincoln signed legislation to create a specific department to work for the interests of American agriculture.

At that time almost half of all Americans lived on farms, and there was a growing need to coordinate information and promote agricultural resources.

The USDA still exists today and has more oversight than ever, although the percentage of the population working the land directly is certainly far smaller.

The 15th of May is of course a familiar date for British farmers, the date the paperwork for the Single Farm Payment must be completed.

My thanks to the whole NFU Cymru team who’ve been assisting members to get this important work completed for another year.

I only have one form to fill, and that’s plenty, especially following the recent boundary checking exercise changing some sets of 0.01 here and there for this year – it took ages.

By now the maize is in and the first cut of silage from the bottom of the farm is safe in the silo, something I’m very thankful for.

I’m also thankful for the fairer prices at market this year, and the slightly stronger milk price. I’m less thankful of course for the huge increase in some costs, specifically animal feed and straw.

As we begin a new political term in the Bay, it’s an exceptionally important period for agriculture, and especially for creating the new agricultural policy for Wales.

Beyond the Bay, in Westminster, another concern is raising its head once again in the form of trade agreements, and I know that the NFU are fighting hard for fairness for UK farmers in any proposed discussions and agreements.

We must ensure that Wales’ farmers aren’t treated unfairly as a result of any agreements that appear over the years ahead.

Lastly, it’s interesting to see Argentina, for the second time in its recent history, attempting to use political power to keep inflation down by restricting the exportation of meat in order to keep it’s price (and in turn, inflation) down.

There’s no need to say that their farmers aren’t particularly happy about this, especially as the policy is seen as a sort of political ‘stunt’.

On the other hand, it shows the value and importance of meat exports to farmers in that nation.

NFU Cymru Clwyd County Chairman, Dewi Jones