BY the end of this week we will have celebrated Christmas and hopefully had a peaceful and enjoyable festive season, writes FUW president Glyn Roberts.

The days leading up to the big day can be very stressful and especially this year as many of us will be feeling the pinch with the increased cost of living.

I urge you to be kind to yourself and your family.

Take care of one another and remember that it is absolutely OK to not be OK, even and perhaps especially at Christmas time.

For us here at the FUW the saying blink and you’ll miss it pretty much sums up our year. The year 2022 has been another challenging and busy year for the union and I must thank all the staff and officials for their continued hard work in making sure we have thriving and sustainable family farms in Wales.

We have said good-bye to a few familiar faces this year and I thank the former members of staff who have diligently served the union for so many years, with special thanks to Peter Davies and Kate Ellis-Evans.

The topics we have dealt with have been far and wide, ranging from land grab issues, the ‘NVZ’ regulations, animal health concerns, climate change and tree planting targets, the first ever Welsh Agriculture Bill that will change how we farm for generations to come, as well as many political ups-and-downs in Westminster.

READ MORE: FUW concerned over reports of further livestock attacks

It’s fair to say that we were kept on our toes throughout the year.  

As well as meeting with MPs in Westminster and Members of the Senedd in Cardiff Bay, we have also taken the opportunity to welcome representatives onto members’ farms and utilised our attendance at the Welsh Labour, Welsh Conservatives and Plaid Cymru party conferences to make sure the voice of Welsh farming is heard.

On devolved matters, we met with the Welsh Government Minister for Economy, Vaughan Gething MS, to discuss the vital contribution agriculture makes to not only the wider rural economy but also the Welsh economy as a whole.

We also met with the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles MS, where we reiterated the significance of the Welsh language in many rural communities across Wales and how important farmers and the agricultural industry will be to reaching one million Welsh speakers.

We also met regularly with the Minister for Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths, and both opposition agricultural spokespersons Mabon ap Gwynfor MS for Plaid Cymru and Sam Kurtz MS for the Conservatives.

With them, we raised issues of importance to our members throughout the year including warning of the impacts of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and suggesting mitigating measures, as well as matters closer to home such as the Water Resource (Control of Agricultural Pollution) Regulations, the ongoing co-design of the Sustainable Farming Scheme and the Agriculture (Wales) Bill.

On top of that, we have also raised these issues in countless meetings with MSs, MPs and councillors as well as engaging at a local level whether at a show or the local market, to discuss the issues facing members in each of our counties.

On a final note this week, I would like to thank all of our staff across the FUW group and our volunteer officials and chairpersons for all of their hard work throughout the year.

During another busy year of hybrid working I think everyone has done an amazing job in serving our members, lobbying politicians and highlighting the excellent work that is being done on behalf of members and customers.

I will raise a glass to you all on Christmas day and hope that you get to enjoy a peaceful and Merry Christmas and I wish you all the very best for the New Year.