Community

No incentive anymore for Welsh farmers to produce food

Published

12 years ago

January 31, 2014

“THE INCENTIVE to produce food for food security has been taken away from Welsh farmers by the Minister’s decision to siphon off 15% into Pillar 2,” that was the message from Rhys Jones, the newly elected Chairman for NFU Cymru in Carmarthenshire, to the guest speaker, Andrew Slade, the WG Director of Agriculture, during the recent County Conference.

Ed Bailey, NFU Cymru President, agreed with Rhys Jones, who farms near Llanwrda, and added, “I am still struggling to believe, almost a month on, that our Minister has decided to transfer 15% from Pillar 1 to Pillar 2 when he doesn’t yet know what he’s going to spend it on. There is no doubt in my mind that this will leave us disadvantaged against our competitors in other parts of the UK as well as in Europe. The Minister states this decision will make Welsh farming more resilient in the future – I fear this has the potential to make some even less resilient.”

Garry Williams, the newly elected Vice Chairman for Carmarthenshire shared his concerns with Andrew Slade regarding the money being spent within Pillar 2. Mr Williams said, “I went to college and a lot of my fellow farmers went to college to learn how to improve their farm business management skills. I am concerned about how much money will be put into Pillar 2 to give farmers business advice – and I question the quality of some of that advice. I don’t want to see Rural Development Plan money squandered and lost in this way. We are the ones farming the land and we should be able to decide how best to run our own businesses.”

Mr Slade, Director of Agriculture, Food & Marine within the Welsh Government, explained that the Minister would be consulting the industry on the next Rural Development Plan in the near future and he urged everyone to use that consultation to air their views as it was a shared endeavour and everyone has a stake.

Euryn Jones, Agriculture Manager for HSBC, the event sponsor, said, “Now that we have had the majority of announcements from the Welsh Government about CAP farmers need to start looking carefully at how their business will be impacted on. It was good to hear from Mr Slade that 80% of Welsh farming businesses won’t see an enormous change to their single farm payments but at HSBC we are more concerned for the 20% that it will have an impact on. There is a concern that the industry won’t respond quickly enough to the changes this reform will bring. Now is the time to start talking to your bank about how to respond to the situation.”

Rhys Jones, Carmarthenshire County Chairman, thanked HSBC for sponsoring the event and Andrew Slade for addressing the conference regarding the recent CAP decisions. He said, “Wales has some of the best produce in the world, all we require in return for this is proper recompense from the market place and where this fails, support to make good this shortfall.”

Community

Duck race draws crowds to Cresswell Quay

Published

2 days ago

June 4, 2026

Tom Sinclair

AN ANNUAL Rotary duck race and pig roast brought crowds to Cresswell Quay on Friday (May 29), with organisers hailing the evening a success.

The event, organised by Narberth and Whitland Rotary, saw yellow ducks released onto the water as spectators gathered along the quay to watch the race unfold.

Perfect conditions

ORGANISERS said the tide and weather “could not have been better” for the popular community event.

Families enjoyed a relaxed evening of entertainment, food and fundraising, with Bat-A-Rat proving popular with youngsters while adults enjoyed a pig roast, with pork provided by Tom at Andrew Rees Butchers.

Live music from Jack Castle added to the atmosphere as people gathered at the riverside venue.

***Rotary fun: Crowds gathered at Cresswell Quay for the annual Narberth and Whitland Rotary Duck Race and Pig Roast***

Thanks to supporters

JOHN Sleigh, of Narberth and Whitland Rotary, thanked everyone who attended and helped make the evening such a success.

He said: “What a fantastic evening. The tide and weather could not have been better for the annual Rotary Duck Race and Pig Roast at Cresswell Quay.

“We thank you all for being there and making the event such a success.”

Community

Crisis response dogs launched to support people through trauma and distress

Published

2 days ago

June 4, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A NEW project using specially trained dogs to support people during moments of trauma, grief and crisis has been launched by Cariad Pet Therapy.

The volunteer-led Crisis Response Dogs project aims to provide comfort, emotional support and compassionate human contact to people experiencing distress, loss or heightened stress.

The dogs and their trained handlers will be able to support people in hospitals, schools, emergency response settings, wellbeing events, relief centres and community support environments.

Cariad Pet Therapy says the project is designed to offer a calm and non-judgmental presence at times when people may be struggling to cope.

Volunteers involved in the scheme have undertaken a bespoke training programme, including accredited Mental Health First Aid, Emotional First Aid, Trauma-Informed Practice, Safeguarding, Professional Boundaries, Dynamic Risk Assessment, Dog Welfare, Crisis Awareness, and training in psychological responses to trauma and distress.

The project is also working with emergency management and resilience partners, including the South Wales Local Resilience Forum, to support communities during emergencies, major incidents and recovery situations.

As part of its development, volunteers have attended specialist seminars on suicide prevention, the human-animal relationship, emergency planning and resilience.

Robert Thomas, Crisis Response Dogs lead for the project, said: “We have already witnessed the incredible impact these dogs can have on people facing difficult moments.

“Sometimes a calm presence, a conversation, or simply the comfort of a dog can make someone feel seen, supported, and less alone.”

The project has received funding from The National Lottery.

For more information about Crisis Response Dogs, or to request a deployment, contact Robert Thomas on 01437 609985 or visit www.crisisresponsedogs.co.uk.

Crisis response dogs: Cariad Pet Therapy has launched a new project to support people during trauma, grief and distress across Wales (Pics: Cariad Pet Therapy).

Community

Youth centre given colourful new look thanks to local firm

Published

2 days ago

June 3, 2026

Tom Sinclair

YOUNG people at a Haverfordwest youth centre have helped transform one of its rooms into a bright and welcoming space.

The Edge Youth Centre, Haverfordwest, has thanked W.B Griffiths & Son Ltd for supporting the painting and decorating project, which saw young people work alongside Chris, a painter and decorator from the company.

The project has given the room a colourful refresh, creating a cheerful space for young people using the centre.

Rabart Decorators Merchants, Pembroke Dock, also supported the work by supplying the colourful paints.

A spokesperson for The Edge Youth Centre said: “We’d like to extend a huge thank you to W.B Griffiths & Son Ltd for supporting us with the painting and decorating of one of the rooms at our Youth Centre.

“The young people were fortunate enough to work alongside Chris, a painter and decorator from W.B Griffiths & Son Ltd, to transform the room.

“Thanks to Chris and the young people’s hard work and enthusiasm, the space is now looking bright, welcoming, and cheerful.

“We’d also like to thank Rabart Decorators Merchants, Pembroke Dock, for generously supplying the colourful paints. Your support has helped create a vibrant room that young people can enjoy for years to come.”

The centre added: “Thank you both for your generosity and for helping us create such a positive space for our young people.”

Photo caption: Bright new look: Young people worked alongside W.B Griffiths & Son Ltd to refresh a room at The Edge Youth Centre, Haverfordwest.