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

Annual charity carol service raises funds for good causes

Published

19 hours ago

December 13, 2025

Tom Sinclair

MID and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service held its annual Charity Carol Service on Wednesday (Dec 10) at Ebeneser Baptist Chapel in Crymych.

The event brought together members of the local community alongside Fire Service staff for an evening of carols, readings and festive refreshments, marking the Christmas season in a warm and inclusive atmosphere.

This year’s service supported two important charities — the Fire Fighters Charity and Cancer Research Wales — with all proceeds going directly towards their ongoing work.

A total of £597 was raised on the night, which will be shared equally between the two charities.

The Service thanked the congregation at Ebeneser Baptist Chapel for hosting the event, as well as everyone who gave their time, support and generosity to make the evening such a success.

Community

3 Amigos toy bike run under way across Pembrokeshire

Published

19 hours ago

December 13, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Castle Inn fun runners back festive charity event

THE ANNUAL 3 Amigos Christmas toy bike run is under way this afternoon (Saturday), with hundreds of motorcyclists setting off from Pembroke to raise funds for children’s services.

Riders gathered at The Commons car park in Pembroke from around midday before departing shortly after 1:00pm. The festive convoy is travelling along its traditional route, taking in Pembroke Dock and continuing through parts of the county including Neyland, Milford Haven and Haverfordwest.

The event is organised by the 3 Amigos and Dollies Motorcycle Group and has become a much-anticipated Christmas tradition in west Wales, with toys and donations collected for children receiving care within the Hywel Dda University Health Board area.

Also supporting the event are fun runners from the Castle Inn in Pembroke, who have been fundraising in aid of the 3 Amigos. The group are pictured alongside participants from today’s run.

The 3 Amigos have been raising funds for children’s wards and health charities for more than twenty-five years, with their Easter and Christmas events continuing to make a positive difference to young patients and their families.

Organisers have thanked the public for their support and asked road users to be mindful of the large convoy as it passes through towns and villages this afternoon.

Photo caption:
Festive fundraising: Fun runners from the Castle Inn, Pembroke, pictured supporting the 3 Amigos Christmas toy bike run (Pic: Martin Cavaney/Herald)

Community

Special delivery of thanks as MP visits Haverfordwest sorting office

Published

2 days ago

December 12, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Christmas cheer for posties working through the festive rush

A CHRISTMAS message of thanks was delivered in person this week as Preseli Pembrokeshire MP Henry Tufnell paid a visit to Royal Mail staff at Haverfordwest Sorting Office.

The MP met postal workers during one of the busiest periods of the year, praising staff for their hard work in ensuring cards, parcels and gifts reach homes across Pembrokeshire in the run-up to Christmas.

Mr Tufnell said postal workers were going “above and beyond” throughout the year, but particularly during the festive period when demand is at its highest and delivery rounds are often made in challenging weather conditions.

He described postal staff as “unsung heroes”, highlighting their role in keeping communities connected and helping families stay in touch at a time when it matters most.

Speaking after the visit, Mr Tufnell said: “Our posties play a vital role in our community, and at Christmas that importance is felt more than ever. They work incredibly hard to make sure gifts and cards from loved ones arrive safely and on time.”

Staff at the Haverfordwest site were pictured alongside the MP, with some embracing the festive spirit in Christmas jumpers and seasonal outfits while continuing their daily work.

The MP also extended his thanks to postal workers across the whole of Pembrokeshire, acknowledging the dedication required to keep services running smoothly during the seasonal rush.

Royal Mail experiences its highest parcel volumes in December, with thousands of additional items passing through local sorting offices each day as Christmas approaches.

Delivering Christmas cheer: Henry Tufnell MP with staff at Haverfordwest Sorting Office during a festive visit (Pic: Facebook).