Wales Farmer 4 NEWS March 2013


Goodand bad newsfromAsda Welsh lambdeal


GOOD GRADES: HCC industry information officer John Richards instructs students at Gelli Aur on how to grade sheep.


Students are on course to makethe grade


STUDENTS at twoWelsh col- leges have been givenapractical course in howtocheck if their livestock meet marketrequire- ments. Morethan 100 pupils at Gelli


Aur, Coleg Sir Gar and Coleg Llysfasi were giveninstruction by stafffromWelsh redmeat promotion agency HybuCig Cymru (HCC) on howtoclassify livestock on fatand conforma- tion. Dewi Hughes,HCC’sproject


executive,said: “Knowing when livestock arereadyfor the mar- ketisanessential skill to ensure thatyou get the maximum profit from your animals. “Animals which have poor


conformation or areoverfat will achieve lowerreturns,soknow- ing what the marketrequire- ments areand when your live-


stock have achievedthe neces- sary levels of finish, can makea major difference to afarmbusi- ness.” MarkNeedham, amember of


the AgricultureTeam at Coleg Sir Gar,said: “This course fitted in perfectlywith what the stu- dents arestudying at the college and it wasgreat to have profes- sionals from HCC come along and emphasise the importance of this skill forabusiness. “Following this course stu-


dents were asked to select and classify anumber of beef cattle beforethey went to slaughter. The results from the abattoir showedthattherewas very little difference between the actual classifications and the student’s predictions,which Ibelieve is a direct result of the instruction they had from HCC.”


More choice in store for farmers


FARMERS in west Wales areset to benefit after the launch of a newagricultural supplies store and distribution business. Dai Davies,formerly of David


Davies Farm Supplies,has joined Mid-Wales based agricultural supplies business Wynnstayto launch the newbusiness in Tanygroes,Cardigan. The team, managed by Lisa


Davies,will operatefrom Tanygroes,supplying arange of animal health, hardware, dairy supplies and other agricultural sundries to customers in Pembrokeshire, Carmarthen- shireand Ceredigion. Dai Davies said: “Myself,


Lisa, and the remainder of the team at Tanygroes arelooking


forwardtoworking with Wynnstaytoprovide customers in the region with an extensive range of agricultural products and services” Andrew Evans,retail director


at Wynnstayadded: “Dai and Lisa, together with the team in Tanygroes,are akey part of our strategy to develop the product and service offering to agricul- tural customers in the west Wales region. We will work with Dai to ensurecustomers receive high quality products,along with the provision of advice and excellent service.” The Tanygroes storewill be


open from 8.30am–5pm Monday to Friday, and 9am–12pm on Saturday.


■ Contract will keep levy cash in Wales


ASDA is to source its Welsh lamb through Dunbia after terminating its contract with the Welsh Country Foods plant on


Anglesey. The Gaerwen factory has a


throughput of around 640,000 lambs ayear and Asda accounted for50% of its business. In astatement, Asda said the


decision to terminate the contract ‘was not taken lightly’. “Our customers will still be


able to buyWelsh lamb,which is raised on Welsh farms and processed in Wales,asweare


By Debbie James


moving our business to Dunbia, whose facilities arebased in Llanybydder,Carmarthenshire. “While we have decided to end


our supplyrelationship with Welsh Country Foods,welook forwardtoworking with Dunbia so we can continue to help sup- port the Welsh lamb industry and its farmers.” The decision to keep this busi-


ness in Wales means levy paid on these lambs will remain in Wales. Asda’sannouncement came


just aday after HybuCig Cymru (HCC) warned thatthe promo- tion of Welsh beef and lamb would be at risk unless therewas arethink of the redmeatlevydis- tribution system. Wales’ redmeatpromotion


bodyestimated thatitwould lose up to half amillion pounds in levy money if the Gaerwen abat-


toir closes and slaughtering movesacross the border to England. Levy money is collected at the


point of slaughter and if aplant closes and slaughtering movesto another part of the country,the levy money goes with it. Although the Asda contract


will remain in Wales it is little comfort to the 350 workers at Gaerwen whostand to lose their jobs if the plant closes and to northWales farmers whoface additional transportcosts if they areforced to sell their livestock further afield. NFU Cymru president Ed


Bailey said the union wasmain- taining contact with Vion UK at the highest leveland had impressed on the companythe importance of maintaining Welsh Country Foods alongside its other plants operating in Wales until anew owner can be found.


“Wehope the companywill be successful in attractinganother major retailer to supplyand that they can further develop existing domestic and export contracts they have with other companies,” he said. A90-dayconsultation is cur-


rentlyunderway at Gaerwen but the managing director of Vion’s redmeatbusiness,Jose Peralta, admitted thatifthis exercise does not reveal aviableway forward, the companywould have no option buttoclose the site. “Throughout the consultation


process we will exploreevery opportunity to limit anypotential job losses which will include attracting newcustomers to the site or the sale of the business to anyinterested parties. “Wewill also work with our


farmer supplybase to minimise anyimpact thatthis mayhaveon their activities,” he said.


Breakfast event is chance to chewoverfuture of farming


FARMHOUSE Breakfast Week in Wales got underway with an event highlighting the reputation of Welsh farmproduce. At its annual farmhouse


breakfast event in the Senedd, Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) president Emyr Jones reminded consumers about the protection afforded to Welsh beef and lamb through


its Commission


European Protected


Geographical Indication (PGI) status.


“PGI assures consumers that


Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef have full traceability,recognising the origin and unique qualities of the product,”said Mr Jones. During the union’s 14th annual


Welsh farmhouse breakfast, deputy minister foragriculture Alun Davies launched HybuCig Cymru’s(HCC) newDVD “Feeding the Future” which pro- motes careers in the redmeat industry. “This is acrucial year forfarm-


ing, with CAP reform and changes to futureRDP pro- grammes on the way. But thank- fully, in our deputy minister,we have asafe pair of hands in charge of food and farming here in Wales,” said HCC chairman Dai Davies. “He has worked hardnot only


ASSEMBLY BREAKFAST: FUW president Emyr Jones (second from right) with breakfast event sponsors’ representatives (from left) E.ON business account manager David Foode, Alun Davies and Dai Davies.


hereinCardiff, butalso in London and especiallyin Brussels wheresomanydecisions


thathaveadirect impact on the daytoday life of ordinary farm- ers in Wales aretaken.


“I hope thathis approach to


cut the best deal possible for farmers in Wales bears fruit.”


Still time to apply for revamped bursaryworth £1,000


STUDENTS arebeing reminded thatthey can still applyfor abur- sary worth £1,000. The Farmers’ Union of Wales has


revamped its student bursary scheme and is nowoffering abur- sary aimed specificallyatfurther education students,with an award of £1,000 to the winner and £500 to the runner-up. The bursary is specificallyaimed


at assisting college students study- ing an agricultureorland-based subject and as part of the newfor-


mat, applicants can either write an essayonone of three subjects,or submit awritten diary report, photo documentary or video diary show- casing aproject they have been working on, either as part of their course,inthe workplace,orat home.


FUW agricultural education and


training committee chairman Alun Edwards, said: “Applications forthe further education bursary opened in November,togive students alonger period of time to settle into their


studies,and is centred on the practi- cal natureofthe courses being stud- ied.


“By making these changes we


hope to attract agreater number of applications and we look forwardto receiving this year’sentries.” Short-listed candidates


will


attend an interviewtodiscuss their submission prior to the RoyalWelsh Spring FestivalonMay 18th, when the recipients of the bursaries will be announced. The closing date forapplications


To apply: •Complete an application form. Available from FUW county offices, the head office:


FUW, Llys Amaeth, Plas Gogerddan, Aberystwyth SY23 3BT or online at www.fuw.org.uk •Either write an essay of amaximum of 1,500 words on one of the following subjects: How Iwill utilise the skills I’ve learnt at College in my future career. What is your favourite course at College and why? Where do you see yourself in five years’ time? •Orsubmit awritten diary report, photo documentary or video diary to showcase a


project you have been working on, either as part of your course, in the workplace, or at home. Email head.office@fuw.org.uk (file size must not exceed 10MB). Attached files up to a maximum of 25MB can be submitted to either press.office@fuw.org.uk or anne.birkett@fuw.org.uk. Students may also submit electronic copies on disk format. All projects need to be submitted in Microsoft accessible format.


For the latest Wales farming news: walesfarmer.co.uk


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