News

Call for EU to act on ‘devastating’ price cuts

Published

10 years ago

August 6, 2015

Tom Sinclair

Accused: Phil Hogan

ANNOUNCEMENTS by Arla and First Milk at the beginning of July that they were to cut the price paid to dairy producers by 1p/litre has resulted in a deepening sense of crisis within the Welsh dairy industry.

Plaid Cymru’s Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs, Llyr Gruffydd AM, called on the European Agriculture Commissioner, Phil Hogan to acknowledge that there is a crisis in the Welsh dairy sector on the day that he visited the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show.

The EU Commissioner will visited the show on Monday (Jul 20), as dairy farmers in Wales continue to produce milk at a loss with no prospect of a price increase until at least next year.

Mr Hogan has been widely criticised for refusing to acknowledge the true scale of problems facing the industry. He was criticised for claiming in January that milk prices were holding up well and there was no dairy crisis, and was further challenged to make the long overdue recognition by MEPs in the European Parliament earlier this month.

Plaid Cymru’s Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs, Llyr Gruffydd AM said: “With devastating milk price cuts at farm gate level, the short-term fortunes of dairy production is pretty grim. No business can carry on producing at a loss for very long and it is time for the Commissioner to acknowledge the scale of the crisis. Producers have seen more than a third knocked off their milk price in less than 12 months and this is having huge repercussions for the rural economy.”

The AM continued: “The Royal Welsh Agricultural Show is the biggest event in our farming calendar, and if the EU Commissioner is meeting with farmers here today then he needs to be honest with them. That means acknowledging that the dairy industry is in crisis. After seeing the Tory UK government cut the overall CAP budget by 10% and then a Labour Welsh Government cutting direct subsidies to Welsh farmers by £1/4bn, plummeting farm-gate prices come at a most difficult time.”

Pointing out the role of supermarkets in driving down prices, Mr Gruffydd concluded: “Large retailers also have a key role to play. Using milk as a loss leader inevitably devalues the product and it should not be happening.”

Optimism expressed by Welsh Conservatives that the removal of milk quotas in an already difficult market would not lead to price falls for Welsh farmers has been shown to be nothing more than wishful thinking. The fears of the FUW that abandoning quotas would adversely impact smaller producers, who predominate in the Welsh dairy market, appear at this stage to have been fully borne out.

Rob Harrison, head of the NFU’s dairy board said: “450 quitting dairy farming since this time last year in England and Wales. The recent series of cuts have highlighted the need for short-term solutions to address the problems happening now – farmers need urgent help from industry and Government. We need Government to move away from paying lip service and focus on the here and now. Their long-term solutions must take a back seat while we focus on the immediate crisis; we need them to insist on best practice in the supply chain, look at growing dairy consumption and supporting more investment in dairy processing in the UK – and this needs to happen now.”

Since 2002, more than half of Britain’s dairy farmers have gone out of business, defeated by rock-bottom prices and rising costs. For the past few months, even those that have survived have been caught up in another perfect storm. Britain consumes more than four-fifths of the milk it produces, but its price is dictated globally, by the cost of producing milk in, say, New Zealand or the US.

Crime

Jury told to continue deliberations in historic child sex abuse trial

Published

18 minutes ago

December 18, 2025

Rieve Nesbitt-Marr

Judge says majority verdict may be accepted after jurors report deadlock at Swansea Crown Court

A JURY has been told to continue its deliberations in the trial of a Milford Haven man accused of historic child sex offences after indicating it could not reach a unanimous verdict.

Thomas Kirk, aged 50, of Meyler Crescent, Milford Haven, is on trial at Swansea Crown Court accused of oral rape and sexual assault of a child. The offences are alleged to have taken place in Pembrokeshire between 2007 and 2009, when the complainant was aged between thirteen and fifteen.

At midday on Wednesday (Dec 18), the jury returned to court to say they were unable to reach a verdict on which all jurors agreed.

Judge Paul Thomas KC told the jury that while he would be prepared to accept a majority verdict if at least ten jurors were in agreement, he still wanted them to continue deliberations in an effort to reach a unanimous decision.

The jury was then sent back out to continue considering its verdict.

The trial continues.

Crime

Police appeal to locate 69-year-old man wanted in harassment investigation

Published

44 minutes ago

December 18, 2025

Tom Sinclair

DYFED-POWYS POLICE are appealing for information to help locate a man from the Ammanford area who is wanted in connection with a harassment offence.

Alan Tait, aged 69, is being sought by officers as part of an ongoing investigation.

Police believe he may currently be in the Derbyshire area, but say he also has links to South Wales and Gwent.

Anyone with information that could assist officers in locating him is urged to contact Dyfed-Powys Police.

Charity

Bluestone Foundation marks year of impact with more than £60,000 for local causes

Published

59 minutes ago

December 18, 2025

Tom Sinclair

THE BLUESTONE FOUNDATION, the charitable arm of Bluestone National Park Resort, has marked a significant year of community investment after raising and distributing more than £60,000 to support projects across Pembrokeshire in 2025.

Run in partnership with the Pembrokeshire Association for Voluntary Services (PAVS), the Foundation has continued to expand its reach, backing a wide range of charities and community organisations working at the heart of the county.

During the year, the Foundation’s Community Fund delivered three rounds of grants, supporting projects focused on wellbeing, inclusion, creativity, and environmental protection.

Environmental organisations including BlueGreen Cymru, Greener Growth CIC and Sea Trust Wales received funding, alongside wellbeing and inclusion groups such as ASD Family Help, Get the Boys a Lift, No Shame Foundation and Silbers CIC.

Creative, youth and heritage organisations including Little Grebe Creative CIC, Pater Hall Community Trust, Milford Haven Community Society, Urdd Gobaith Cymru and VC Gallery also benefited.

In total, £32,968.57 was awarded through the Community Fund in 2025.

Fundraising events held at the Blue Lagoon Water Park generated a further £19,500 in unrestricted income. Under the Foundation’s funding model, 75 per cent of that money is passed directly to charities, with the remaining 25 per cent placed into a flexible fund to support causes that fall outside the Community Fund’s criteria.

Flexible funding totalling £4,500 was used this year to support initiatives including Sport Pembrokeshire’s Fit and Fed project, refurbishment work at Martletwy Young Farmers Club hall, Bloomfield Bus and Green Dragon Bus services, and Nacro’s Christmas appeal, providing food, warm clothing and essential items to people in crisis.

The Foundation also supported the PATCH Christmas Toy Appeal, encouraging staff and visitors at Bluestone to donate gifts for families referred to the charity during the festive period.

In addition, more than one hundred fundraising events across the region were supported through prize donations from the Foundation, including over 200 family passes to the Blue Lagoon Water Park, 32 overnight spa breaks and nine Bluestone holiday breaks.

Marten Lewis, Chair of the Bluestone Foundation said: “This year’s achievements reflect the heart of who we are at Bluestone. The Foundation exists to uplift the people and places that make Pembrokeshire such a special community.

“The impact of our partners, grant recipients and fundraising efforts in 2025 shows what is possible when we work together, and we are proud to see the difference it continues to make across the county.”

Looking ahead to 2026, the Foundation has confirmed continued support for Sport Pembrokeshire’s Fit and Fed project and will act as gold sponsor of the DPJ Foundation’s Macchu Picchu trek.

Five further Blue Lagoon fundraising events are already scheduled between February and August, supporting Local Cadets, Belles Story, Martletwy YFC Hall, Blue Horizons Coastal Adventure and Friends of Portfield School.

Tickets for those events are available via the Bluestone Foundation’s Eventbrite page.

For more information about the Bluestone Foundation, visit the Bluestone website.