Farming
Christmas comes early for Brian
A SEMI-RETIRED farmer whose ill-health means he now watches more TV is celebrating after winning a major prize. 73-year-old Brian Thomas is now the proud owner of a new trailer worth over £2,000 after entering a competition on the popular S4C programme Ffermio. Every year the programme runs the competition in partnership with Ifor Williams Trailers, Europe’s biggest trailer manufacturers, and the number of entries has increased over the years.
Viewers are asked to answer questions over a seven-week period and then, using the initial letters, give a seven-letter word. Brian, of Blaengilfach Uchaf, Cilrhedyn, Llanfyrnach, near Crymych in Pembrokeshire, has come up with the correct answers every year but until now has not been lucky enough to win. He has won this year’s second prize, an LM85G model, eight-feet long and with dropsides, a headboard and tailboard, which is worth £1,970 plus VAT.
Blaengilfach Uchaf is a 200-acre holding on which Brian, who also worked as an agricultural contractor, keeps store cattle and sheep. He is one of five siblings, four of whom farmed in the area. He is helped on the farm by his wife Mary and son-in-law Richard Davies, and over the past three years his deteriorating health has restricted his mobility.
“I now have more time to watch TV and read, and so I do enter more competitions,” he said. His only other success came when he won £500 in a competition on the S4C programme Rasus. There are already two Ifor Williams trailers at Blaengilfach Uchaf but the new model will prove very useful for different jobs.
“We always buy the company’s trailers because they are the best around,” said Brian. Unfortunately, due to his illhealth, he was unable to attend this year’s Royal Welsh Agricultural Society’s Winter Fair at Llanelwedd, and so it was left to Mary and their daughter Elaine to collect their prize and take it home to Llanfyrnach. Gwawr Lewis, of the production company Telesgop, who make Ffermio, said that interest in the competition increased every year.
“Whether you’re a farmer or someone who loves the great outdoors an Ifor Williams trailer will always be a superb product to win,” she said , “It’s fantastic that the company has, once again, put up three of their best products as prizes, which helped to ensure that interest was again massive.
“The Ffermio competition is very valuable to us, with viewers far and wide tuning in, in the hope of getting their hands on the trailers. “The winners appreciate the quality of the trailers, be they farmers, small holders, or horse owners. It is a very special time for Telesgop’s Ffermio team, to see the excellent prizes going once more to very worthy winners. ”
Iorwerth Roberts, the company’s head of sales in North Wales, said Ifor Williams Trailers was proud to be associated with Ffermio and that the faith in their product was clearly demonstrated in the response to the competition. “We have had fantastic support from our loyal customers over many years and in return we feel it is vitally important to support the rural community,” he said.
“Ffermio provides us with a great way of giving something back.” Winner of the first prize, a TA5G 10-feet-long trailer with sheep decks, worth £4,105 plus VAT, was Myrddin Davies, of Ffordd Tan y Ysgol, Llanrwst, while the third prize of a Q5e model with hinged solid sides, roof rack and stock door, worth £1,110 plus VAT went to Morris Jones, of Tryal Farm, Llanrhystyd, near Aberystwyth.
Farming
Welsh Government could overturn Ceredigion cattle breeder’s house plans
A CEREDIGION councillor-backed scheme by one of the top breeders of Limousin cattle in the UK to build a home near Lampeter could be overturned following a call for it to be decided by Welsh Government, planners heard.
At the October meeting of Ceredigion County Council’s development management committee, the application, by Mr and Mrs Dylan Davies for a four-bedroom rural enterprise workers’ dwelling at Blaenffynnon, Llanwnnen, Lampeter, where they run a calving and cattle rearing business, was backed despite an officer recommendation for refusal.
One of the issues in the report for members was the financial test of whether the scheme was affordable, based on an estimate the building would cost some £292,000 to construct; at a 25-year mortgage amounting to £20,400 a year.
The size of the proposed building – which the applicants say include a need to entertain and occasionally accommodate clients – was also given as a reason for failing the TAN6 policy test, being larger than affordable housing guidance, at 202 square metres rather than a maximum of 136.
Members have previously heard the applicant breeds high-value show cattle for embryo transplanting at the well-established business, with one bull alone selling for £32,000 last year.
It had previously been recommended for refusal at the September meeting, but was deferred for a ‘cooling-off’ period to seek further details along with potential changes to the size of the scheme.
At the October meeting, members backed approval despite officers saying the size proposed could actually include a two-person bungalow in addition to the normal maximal ‘affordable’ size.
At the start of the November meeting, members heard a request for the scheme to be ‘called-in’ for Welsh Government final decision had been made, meaning Ceredigion planners’ approval could potentially be overturned if the ‘call-in’ is agreed.
Farming
Welsh Government pressed on impact of new farming tax
THE Welsh Government have been urged to clarify how many farms in Wales will be affected by the Family Farm Tax.
The calls come after farming unions rebuked claims from the UK Labour Government and Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens that only a minority of farmers will be affected by the new inheritance tax rules.
The UK Labour Government has come under heavy criticism following the announcement by Chancellor Rachel Reeves that farmers would have to pay a 20% tax on farms worth more than £1m.
When questioned on Sunday Politics about the potential impact of the new tax laws on Welsh Farmers, Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens claimed that “Three quarters of farmers will be unaffected”.
The treasury has yet to publish an estimate around the impact that the new tax laws will have on Welsh farms.
Both the FUW and NFU Cymru have expressed their concerns at the changes made by the UK Government, stating that it will cause “lasting damage to Welsh farming.”
The Welsh Lib Dems have now called on the Welsh Government to clarify how many farms in Wales will be impacted by the new Family Farm Tax rules.
Party leader Jane Dodds MS has written to the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs Huw Irranca-Davies to express her concern over the “untold damage that farming communities throughout Wales will face as a consequence of the UK Government’s most recent budget”.
In the same letter, Jane Dodds MS pressed Mr Irranca-Davies to confirm how many Welsh farms will be affected by the new inheritance laws.
“We cannot afford to leave our farming communities in the dark when it comes to the impact of this potentially devasting new tax law” said Jane Dodds MS.
Both our farmers and the Welsh Public deserve to know the truth that lies behind Labour’s claims that only a small amount of farmers will be impacted by the Family Farm Tax. Claims that, I should add, have already been disputed by both NFU Cymru and the FUW.
The uncertainty surrounding these new inheritance laws will place more unnecessary pressure on farmers across Wales, many of whom are already struggling under a cloud of financial pressures.”
Farming
Pembrokeshire farmer’s award for outstanding service to Welsh dairy industry
DAIRY farmer, Stephen James, from Gelliolau farm in Clunderwen, Pemborkeshire has been presented the FUW Outstanding Service to the Welsh Dairy Industry award at the Welsh Dairy Show 2024 in Carmarthen.
Presenting Stephen with the award will be FUW President Ian Rickman during the Welsh Dairy Show held at the United Counties Showground in Nantyci, Carmarthen on Tuesday 22 October 2024.
Ian Rickman, FUW President said: “The judging panel were delighted with the nominations this year, but Stephen’s diligent and relentless work for over 20 years representing the industry in a public role on the issue of Bovine TB in particular placed him on top.
“A worthy winner, Stephen has used his own experience of dealing with TB on his own farm business, having been in and out of restrictions for over a quarter of a century, to highlight the main issues that affect Welsh farmers, publicly.”
Stephen is Chairman of the Wales Animal Health and Welfare Framework a position he has held since July 2018. As Chairman, working closely with Wales’ Chief Veterinary Officer, Stephen works to make improvements in standards of animal health and welfare across Wales.
He has also been a leading figure in representing the concerns of Welsh farming to the Government. As an industry representative on the Welsh Government TB programme board, he has undertaken countless bilingual media interviews to local, national and international broadcasters. He highlights the impact the disease has on farming families and the need for the Welsh Government to implement a Comprehensive TB Eradication Strategy.
On winning the award, Stephen James said: “Receiving this award is a huge privilege. It was quite a shock to hear the news. I am extremely grateful to receive the award, especially at an event that is so close to my heart and is so important to the milk sector in Wales. Thank you so much for the honour.”
Stephen James has held a wide range of positions within NFU Cymru from Local Branch Chairman to President (2014 – 2018). He has worked on a number of significant policy areas including the Common Agricultural Policy Reform and Brexit, dairy issues and an influential figure during the trying times of the 2012 milk crisis. Stephen, alongside other UK farming union leaders, addressed the July 2012 dairy farmers Westminster Hall Rally.
Passionate about supporting the next generation of farmers, Stephen shared the responsibility for his farm business at Gelliolau to his son, Daniel, at a young age. He has been heavily involved with the Wales Young Farmers, both locally and nationally holding a number of positions including Pembrokeshire County Chairman, Pembrokeshire County President and Wales YFC Council member.
A long standing member of First Milk and a Director and past Chairman of Clynderwen and Cardiganshire Farmers, he truly believes in the values and principles of co-operative organisations.
He is former President of the Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society, a President and active Board Member of Clunderwen Show Society, a past Chair of Clunderwen Community Council and member and past Chairman of Narberth Grassland Society. Stephen James is also a Fellow of the Royal Agricultural Societies.
Ian Rickman concluded: “Stephen James has truly made an outstanding contribution to the Welsh Dairy Industry. We are delighted to present him with this FUW award in recognition of the years of work he has carried out on behalf of Welsh farmers. On behalf of the FUW, I congratulate and thank Stephen for his work.”
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