Farming

A plan of action for Welsh food and drink

Published

11 years ago

June 27, 2014

A NEW action plan setting out how the Welsh Government will help Wales’s food and drink industry grow by 30 percent to £7 billion by 2020 was launched on Thursday, June 12, by Alun Davies, the Minister for Natural Resources and Food.

Wales’s food and farming industry is already a significant contributor to the Welsh economy and accounts for £5.2bn turnover, 45,000 jobs and £1.3bn Gross Value Added (GVA) in Wales. Towards Sustainable Growth: An Action Plan for the Food and Drink Industry 2014 – 2020 recognises the importance of the sector and lists 48 actions that will deliver greater profitability, growth and jobs. All actions are time-specific and will be measured against outcomes. They include: * Creating a Food & Drink Wales Industry Board to provide leadership and a voice for the industry * Developing the new Food & Drink Wales/ Bwyd a Diod Cymru identity for food and drink to emphasise Welsh provenance and promote trade and market development * Focusing on training to create a skilled and capable workforce throughout the food chain The Minister will address around 150 food businesses, farming unions, university representatives and key players from the UK’s food and drink industry in Cardiff later today and will set out how the plan will help achieve sustainable growth and a profitable future for the sector. Alun Davies said: “This is a very exciting time to be involved in the Welsh food and drink industry – we are progressing well, but we must do more to achieve our ambitious targeting of increasing the turnover of the food and drink sector by 30 percent over the next seven years. “In producing this plan we have listened to feedback from the industry and have worked to provide the support it needs to thrive – whether that be better research, administration support, help identifying market opportunities, business advice or financial investment. “This plan is not a high level strategy, it is completely focused on delivery. For it to be a success, the plan must be delivered in partnership between the industry and Government – with the new Food and Drink Industry Board representing the voice of the industry and providing clear, strong leadership.” The Minister is inviting nominations from the industry for the position of Chair of the Board and will announce this appointment at the Royal Welsh Show in July. Other speakers at the launch event included Tara McCarthy, Food & Beverages Director of Bord Bia (Irish Food Board) and James Withers, Chief Executive of Scotland Food and Drink, who will talk about their experiences of implementing food and drink strategies in their own countries. The Minister added: “I cannot overstate the importance of Welsh food. It has an impact on almost every part of our daily lives from our economy, climate, health and our ability to learn – as well as being central to the culture of Wales. “Despite successes in recent years, so far we have only scratched the surface in terms of what we can achieve and I see this action plan opening up new opportunities for our food producers in terms of exports, skills and training and increasing the profile and reputation of Welsh food.” The Farmers’ Union of Wales welcomed the Action Plan’s launch, describing it as an “ambitious document” which could have real benefits for the food industry in Wales. The Union stressed that the primary production sector is a vital aspect of the food and drink industry in Wales and a profitable farming industry will help deliver the ambitious targets within the plan. FUW president Emyr Jones said: “Wales has been without a strategic direction for food and drink over the past few years so today’s launch will begin the process of growing the Welsh food chain from farm to fork which, if implemented properly, could help farm businesses become more sustainable economically. “The programme aims to grow sales within the food and farming sector by 30% and the FUW welcomes the fact that many of its comments and suggestions submitted during the consultation process have been adopted as part of the strategy.” The strategy itself comprises 48 action proposals ranging from upskilling the labour force to public sector procurement and business growth and development. “The FUW will now consider the detail of the Action Plan and will contribute to the ongoing discussions on its implementation,” Mr Jones added.

Crime

Farmer cleared of restraining order breach at Haverfordwest court

Published

7 days ago

January 23, 2025

Tom Sinclair

A PEMBROKESHIRE man has been found not guilty of breaching a restraining order after being accused of referencing a protected individual in a Facebook post.

Philip Stoddart, 58, of Monkhill Farm, St Ishmaels, appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Monday (Jan 20) to face the charge. The prosecution, led by Ann Griffiths on behalf of the crown, alleged that between December 4 and December 13, 2023, Stoddart made a Facebook post that, by inference, referred to a person he was prohibited from contacting under a restraining order imposed by Swansea Crown Court on April 16, 2021.

The restraining order, issued under Section 360 of the Sentencing Act 2020, barred Stoddart from making any form of contact with her.

Prosecutors argued that the Facebook post constituted a breach of the order, contrary to Section 363 of the same act.

Stoddart denied the allegations and entered a not guilty plea during a prior hearing on October 1, 2024.

Magistrates Professor N. Negus, Mr. J. Steadman, and Mrs. J. Morris presided over the trial, which concluded on Monday.

After reviewing the evidence, the bench found Stoddart not guilty, dismissing the case.

The dismissal brings to a close legal proceedings that had been ongoing for over a year.

Farming

Get up to £5,000 for on-farm trials in Wales

Published

7 days ago

January 23, 2025

Tom Sinclair

FARMERS in Wales are being called to apply for the next round of funding for on-farm trials.

The Farming Connect initiative, which has funded projects such as growing lucerne in Brecon, is inviting applications for the Try Out Fund.

The new application window opens on January 27, 2025, and will run until February 17.

Successful applicants will be awarded up to £5,000 to help fund trials that experiment with new ideas on their farms.

The last round of funding supported several projects, including integrated pest management at a pick-your-own strawberry enterprise.

Menna Williams, the Farming Connect project lead, said: “Farming Connect has developed the Try Out Fund to address specific local problems or opportunities with the aim of improving efficiencies and profitability within agricultural businesses whilst protecting the environment.”

She added: “There are many changes on the horizon for agriculture, and now is a great time for farm businesses to explore an idea that could benefit them, allowing farms to tackle ‘real’ problems or check if a research idea works in practice.”

The fund is open to individuals or groups of up to four farmers and/or growers in Wales who have identified a local or specific problem or opportunity.

Ms Williams said: “Because these ideas are initiated by farmers themselves, they are really passionate about them, giving them 100 per cent effort right from the start.”

Projects should focus on enhancing production efficiencies and profitability while ensuring environmental protection through adherence to sustainable land management principles.

A guidance handbook is accessible on the Farming Connect website, providing support for farmers in outlining their projects and completing the application process.

To apply, individuals must be registered with Farming Connect and capable of finishing their projects by January 2026.

Ms Williams explained: “Funding can be used for technical assistance, sampling, testing and other reasonable expenses such as those relating to short-term hire of specialist equipment or facilities directly relating to the project.”

The findings will be shared with other producers in Wales by collaborating with a Farming Connect team member.

Interested parties can apply on the Farming Connect website.

To receive the link or get further information, contact [email protected].

Farming

Funding window to re-open for on-farm trials in Wales

Published

7 days ago

January 23, 2025

Tom Sinclair

WITH Farming Connect-funded trials ranging from growing lucerne in Brecon to establishing sunflowers as a companion crop with maize, farmers are being invited to apply for the next round of funding from the initiative that brought these projects to life.

The new application window for the Try Out Fund opens on 27January2025 and will run until 17 February. Successful applicants will be awarded up to £5,000 to help fund on-farm trials that experiment with new ideas. The last round of funding saw farmers supported for several projects including integrated pest management at pick your own strawberry enterprise.

Project lead Menna Williams of Farming Connect said the aim is for farmers to compare different treatments or management systems – the project is not intended to fund new equipment she stressed.

“Farming Connect has developed the Try-Out Fund to address specific local problems or opportunities with the aim of improving efficiencies and profitability within agricultural businesses whilst protecting the environment,’’ she said. “There are many changes on the horizon for agriculture, and now is a great time for farm businesses to explore an idea that could benefit them, allowing farms to tackle ‘real’ problems or check if a research idea works in practice.’’

The fund is open to individuals or groups of up to four farmers and/or growers in Wales who have identified a local or specific problem or opportunity.

“Because these ideas are initiated by farmers themselves, they are really passionate about them, giving them 100% effort right from the start,’’ said Ms Williams.

Suitable projects must aim to improve production efficiencies and profitability whilst protecting the environment by aligning with sustainable land management outcomes. A guidance handbook is available on the Farming Connect website to help farmers scope their project and complete the application form.

Applicants must be registered with Farming Connect and be able to complete their projects by January 2026.