Farming
Farmers’ Union of Wales marks 70 years with breakfast week

AS 2025 kicks off, the Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) will once again be hosting hearty breakfast events across Wales this January to bring people together, and raise money towards a good causes.
Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day and it is a great opportunity for people of all ages and backgrounds to come together and enjoy a plate of premium produce whilst sharing their thoughts before starting a busy day.
The breakfasts form part of the FUW’s annual Farmhouse breakfast week, a stalwart of the Welsh agricultural calendar, which will see 24 breakfast events held across Wales this January.
The week will also mark two milestones for the Farmers’ Union of Wales, as it celebrates seventy years since its formation in 1955, and fifteen years since the county breakfast events were first trialled in Caernarfonshire in 2010.
The week will see the breakfasts dotted across Wales in farmhouses, village halls, cafes and livestock markets, as well as an event in Cardiff Bay, bringing together politicians and policy makers. The event, kindly sponsored by Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader, Jane Dodds MS, will also see a speech from Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca Davies MS.
Proceeds from the breakfasts will be donated towards the Wales Air Ambulance and other local charities. Last year’s FUW Farmhouse breakfast week raised over £17,500 towards the Wales Air Ambulance.
The FUW breakfasts are also an opportunity to promote and showcase the quality premium local produce that farmers grow in a sustainable way and throughout breakfast week the FUW will shine a spotlight on the importance of our rural economy.
Commenting ahead of the FUW’s Farmhouse breakfast week, President Ian Rickman said: “From Llangefni to Llanarthne, the farmhouse breakfast week is one of the highlights of the year, providing an opportunity to start the day together with family, friends and neighbours, in a positive way and at the same time raise money towards our charitable causes.
This year’s breakfast week will be even more special, with the FUW celebrating 70 years since its foundation in 1955. A lot has changed over the past seventy years, agriculturally, socially and politically, but the FUW’s commitment to our family farms and rural communities remains unwavering.
All of us are looking forward to yet another good turnout. It’s fair to say that a healthy start is not just good for a healthy heart but also for a healthy mind.”
Guto Bebb, FUW Group Chief Executive added: “With short days, bleak weather and plenty to do on the farmyard, January can often be a tough time for many farmers. The FUW Breakfast week offers a welcome opportunity to come together over a warm, nutritious meal and have a chat and catch-up.
At what is a difficult time for the sector, we particularly look forward to the event in Cardiff again this year – ensuring politicians and policy makers hear the needs and asks of the Welsh agricultural sector.”
For a full list of the FUW breakfast events visit their website (www.fuw.org.uk/news) or call 01970 820 820.
Farming
Ceredigion farmer’s plea to build bungalow on his own land

A CEREDIGION farmer’s call to convert a derelict building last occupied in the 1930s as a downsizing home on land he has farmed all his life has been put on hold while planners visit the site.
At the February meeting of Ceredigion County Council’s development management committee, members were recommended to refuse an application by Mr and Mrs I and A Evans, of Fronlwyd, Llangrannog to erect a dwelling, agricultural shed and associated works on the site of the nearby abandoned dwelling at Fronlwyd/Pen-yr-Allt, just over a mile from Llangrannog, which was last occupied in 1936.
It was recommended for refusal on grounds including it was “unjustified new housing in open countryside”.
Giving an impassioned plea to be allowed to build the bungalow, Mr Evans, who warned he was “not a big fan of public speaking,” said: “I have farmed the land all my life, I live in a five-bed house, just me and the wife, we’re getting older.
“We want to build a bungalow just so we can future-proof as we get older; I don’t want to leave the land I’ve farmed all my life, I like being out in the fresh air and listening to the birds and the animals.”

He said there was more of the ruined building present when he was a child, the building declining after “years of not being looked after”.
He told members he wanted the site to go back to “what I remember as a kid”, adding: “In the olden days they knew how to build houses, it’s in a little dip and only visible from one direction, it’s ideally situated.
“I would look after the land and me and my wife in our old age; I just want to satay there, that’s where I’ve lived all my life, and I want to stay there.”
A site inspection panel visit before any decision was made was proposed by Cllr Gareth Lloyd, with Cllr Maldwyn Lewis saying: “In my mind heritage is important for Ceredigion, the backbone of the fabric of the community.”
Members unanimously backed a site inspection panel viewing of the application, the application returning to a future meeting.
Farming
Farming funding fears as Welsh government warns of major cuts

A CHANGE in the UK government’s approach to funding for Welsh agriculture has sparked serious concerns, with First Minister Eluned Morgan warning that the shift could see Wales lose nearly £150m a year in farm support.

The Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) has cautioned that the funding formula change could amount to a cut of more than 40%, raising alarm across the industry. The UK government has decided to stop ring-fencing farm support, meaning future allocations will be absorbed into the general funding provided to the Welsh government.
Morgan, addressing MPs at Westminster’s Welsh Affairs Committee, said the move was “a huge concern” and argued that it fails to reflect the higher proportion of farmers in Wales compared to other parts of the UK.
Funding shake-up
The change, first announced in last October’s UK Budget, will see farm funding calculated under the Barnett formula, which determines the Welsh government’s overall budget. Under Barnett, Wales receives around 5% of spending increases in England for devolved matters like health and education, but agricultural leaders argue that this method does not take into account the unique demands of Welsh farming.
Morgan, leader of Welsh Labour, told the committee: “If you just do a Barnett consequential, you’re talking about a 5% [increase], whereas, actually, when it comes to agriculture we should be significantly higher than that.
“It is a huge concern that this has been changed.”
Political pressure mounts
Plaid Cymru’s Westminster agriculture spokesperson Ann Davies said the UK government had failed to provide clarity on how Wales’ higher proportion of farmers would be considered under the new system.
“The Labour first minister now expressing concerns only reinforces the urgency of this issue,” she said. “The UK government must guarantee that Welsh agriculture will not lose out in the future.”
A UK government spokesperson defended the changes, saying: “The Budget provided the Welsh government with a record £21bn settlement, and it receives over 20% more funding per person than equivalent UK government spending.
“It is for the Welsh government to allocate this across its devolved responsibilities, which include agriculture, to deliver on the priorities of people in Wales and support the Welsh rural economy.”
Wider economic worries
During the committee session, Morgan also raised concerns over potential new tariffs on steel imposed by former US President Donald Trump. The proposed 25% import tariff could threaten Welsh steel exports, with the first minister revealing she had already discussed the issue with Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
“I’m sure we are all very concerned to see what President Trump is suggesting in terms of steel tariffs, and we don’t know where that is going to end,” Morgan said.
The first minister is later due to attend a dinner at Windsor Castle hosted by the King, alongside UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and the first ministers of Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Crime
Warning of heavy fines for farms as six Romanians found working at dairy farm

ILLEGAL WORKERS DISCOVERED IN MID WALES RAID
A DAIRY FARM in Llangedwyn, Powys, faces heavy fines after immigration officers arrested six Romanian workers found working illegally during a dawn raid on January 28. The business owners could now be fined up to £60,000 per worker and face a possible prison sentence if found guilty of failing to carry out proper employment checks.
The arrests come as part of a major crackdown on illegal working across Wales and the West of England. Home Office Immigration Enforcement teams carried out 121 visits last month, resulting in 101 arrests—more than double the number recorded in January 2024.
Tougher action against illegal working
Officials say enforcement activity has reached record levels, with 609 arrests made nationwide in January—an increase of 73 per cent compared to the same period last year.
Eddy Montgomery, Director of Enforcement, Compliance & Crime, said:
“Despite many premises in the region being in rural locations, these numbers show there is no hiding place from the law. We will come after any business that thinks it can exploit illegal workers for its own gain.”
Since last summer, both illegal working visits and arrests have risen by 38 per cent, with the Home Office issuing 1,090 civil penalty notices to businesses hiring illegal workers.
New law to target people smugglers
The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, set to be debated in Parliament today, will give law enforcement new powers to target people-smuggling gangs and disrupt illegal migration. The legislation will allow officers to search electronic devices for evidence of organised crime.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “For far too long, employers have been able to take on and exploit illegal migrants with little to no enforcement. Not only does this create a dangerous draw for people to risk their lives crossing the Channel in small boats, but it results in the abuse of vulnerable people and undermines our economy.
“That’s why we are boosting enforcement to record levels alongside tough new legislation to crack down on the criminal gangs that profit from illegal migration.”
Record removals of illegal migrants
Alongside the crackdown on illegal working, the Home Office says it is stepping up deportations of those with no legal right to remain in the UK. Since the election, 16,400 people have been removed, including criminals convicted of drug offences, theft, rape, and murder.
Bespoke charter flights have returned over 800 immigration offenders to their countries of origin, marking the highest removals since 2018.
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