Wales Farmer 6


Society honours


AWELL-KNOWN rural priest has been made an associate of the Royal Agricultural Societies. Reverend Canon Eileen


Davies runs a300 acredairy and sheep enterprise at Llanllwni, Pencader,with her husband, Dyfrig, and is also the vicar of four rural parishes in Ceredigion and advisor on rural matters forthe Church in Wales. She has receivedthe award


forher pastoral work concerning the welfareof farmers.Canon Davies works closelywith other organisations thathelp farmers in distress,such as the Farm Crisis Network, the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institute,farming unions and the YFC.She is also involved with the Church in Wales RuralIssues Hub,run in conjunction with the Welsh Government and the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society. In 2007 she set up aregister


of people whooffer emergency coveronthe farmwherehelp is urgentlyneeded through illness or bereavement. At present 40 people areonthe register. E. HeddPugh, of Dinas


Mawddwy, Machynlleth, has also been made an associate of the societies forhis contribution to the community. Mr Pugh’sfamilyfarm


extends to over 1,600 acres running up to 2,800 feet above sea level. Only100 acres arein fields,however,with the remainder steep mountainsides,achallenging environment whereimproved areas arefertilised annuallyby helicopter. The farmisanimportant


access point to the summit of Aran FawddwyinSnowdonia and recentlyacar parkwas opened on the land fortourists and walkers. Mr Pugh is involved in 24


different bodies concerned with farming, the environment, access,education and other interests,and at last year’s RoyalWelsh showhereceived the NFU Cymru/NatWest community champion award. Another newassociate is


LordNewborough, owner of the Rhug Estate,Corwen. He has receivedthe honour forhis vision and dedication in developing and promoting the Rhug brand of organic meats and other organic produce from the estate’sfarms. LordNewborough took


over the familyfarmof2,300 acres at Rhug on the death of his father in 1998 and has transformed the enterprise from aconventionally-farmed lowinput, lowoutput unit staffed by nine people,into a business of 6,500 acres with 85 employees and aturnoverof £7.5m. Produce bearing the Rhug


brand is deliveredthree times a week to severalofLondon’s top restaurants and is exported to customers in Europe,the Middle East, Singaporeand Hong Kong. The estate has its own


state-of-the-art meatcutting and processing plant and a newfarmshop and restaurant wasopened at Rhug last year. The estate farms produce a


full range of organic meat– beef,lamb,salt marsh lamb, chicken, pork, bison, turkeys, geese and also wild game. Organic arable crops include cereals,potatoes,carrots, parsnips,beans and peas.


NEWS March 2013


Innovationinspires future farm leaders


■ Application window opens for programme


ANEW generation of potential farming leaders has emerged from an innovative Welsh rural


leadership programme. Fifteen people have completed Agri-AcademyRural


the


Leadership Programme,aninitia- tive jointlydeveloped between Farming Connect and the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society and launched last summer. Wales’ deputy farming minis-


ter,Alun Davies,presented each with acertificate when they met at the National Assembly to dis- cuss the progress they had made on the course. He wasimpressed by their enthusiasm and the confidence they had gained during the com- prehensive programme of resi- dential courses. “I have spoken at length to the


individuals whoparticipated in this unique initiative.Without doubt they have gained in confi- dence and stature, Iamcertain they will be among our future agricultural leaders and rural entrepreneurs hereinWales,” he said.


The programme featured three


residential weekends,including a three-dayvisit to Brussels when the focus wasondeveloping lead- ership skills.The group learned


By Debbie James


howthe European Parliament worked and howasindividuals and as members of agroup they could be effective at lobbying. Therewas also an opportunity


foranexchange of ideas with inspirational leaders from awide range of industries during avisit to Cardiff. Solicitor Nerys Llewelyn


Jones,who also runs afarmnear Lampeter with her husband, Alan, wasamong the Rural Leadership Programme’sfirst intake. She said the group members


had learned enormouslyfrom each other as well as from the course leaders and others they had met during the course of the programme. “Weall came from very differ-


ent backgrounds butweshared a common link in agriculture. The course opened our eyes to the dif- ferent roles thereare in agricul- ture, howeveryone plays adiffer- ent part in it,”said Nerys,of Henllan, Pumsaint, Llanwrda. “When we visited Brussels I


chaired ameeting we had with an MEP,Iwould not have had the confidence to do thatpreviously.” She encouraged others to


applyfor the 2013 programme. “My advice to people whoare considering applying is to defi- nitelydoit, Iwould do it all over again if Icould,”she said. “I have learned thatyou do


have to taketime out to get an objective perspective.You don’t realise thatthereisabigger pic- tureout thereunless youdoso.”


JOIN UP: Nerys Llewelyn Jones, pictured with deputy minister for agriculture Alun Davies, encourages others to apply for the Rural Leadership Programme.


The application windowfor


applications and nominations is open until April 2nd. The second element of the Agri-Academy


2013 is the Business and Innovation Programme and the criteria forapplicants is the same forboth programmes.


Forfurther information and to


download application formsvisit the website www.menterabusnes. co.uk/farmingconnect.


Weather, rising costs and bad timing blamed for collapse in lamb prices


THE WET weather,Eurozone financial crisis,increased input costsand bad timing arebeing blamed fora65p collapse in Welsh lamb prices. In January,the averageweekly


auction marketprice forlamb in Wales was136 pence per kilo,65 pence lowerthan the same week in 2012. Dai Davies,chairman of Welsh


redmeatpromotion agency Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC), said: “The major factors thathaveinflu- enced the profitability of Welsh sheep enterprises this year arethe weather,the financial crisis in the Eurozone and the rising costs of feed.” 2012 wasone of the wettest summers in the UK since records began, slowing the rate at which farmers were able to get their lambs readytogotomarket. “This delayhas meant that moredomestic lamb is coming


onto the marketatthe same time as cheaper lamb from other coun- tries,such as NewZealand, tradi- tionallycomes into the UK,” added Mr Davies. “This competition on our


supermarketshelves has meant the marketvalue of lamb in the UK has dropped. The delayinfinishing lambs


has also led to an increase in costs forfarmers to produce lamb. Mr Davies said: “Atthis time


of year,most farmers will need to use concentrates to finish their lambs because they maynot get the necessary nutrients from grass alone.However this cost has increased significantlywith some suppliers quoting prices thatare 25 percent higher than last year.” The markethas also suffered


from financial crises in importing countries such as France.


Join in with sheepsurvey


SEVEN sheep industry bodies have joined forces to gauge the effects of last year’spoor weather and prevalence of disease among this year’slamb crop.


The online survey,which


went live this week, and only takes ten minutes to complete is aimed at producers as they finish lambing and can record certain keyperformance figures. It is hoped the survey will


provide an ongoing weekly snapshot of howlambing is progressing and if anyhealth trends areemerging. “ObviouslySchmallenberg


disease is something that everyone is worried about butit


is currentlydifficult to get atrue pictureofhow manyflocks are affected and the prevalence in anyparticular flock,”said a joint statement from the group organising the survey. “Thereare plenty of other


factors which could also affect the lamb crop,however,such as the poor weather conditions and liverfluke. Without harddata, we cannot co-ordinate a response thathelps farmers.” The responses are


anonymous,but people can leave an email address to receive feedback as the season progresses.Producers should enter their details once they have finished lambing on their


farmorafter each batch if they lamb in batches.The survey will stayopen until late May. To access the survey go to:


www.surveymonkey.com/s/WW HBNC5” or visit the link at www.hccmpw.org.uk. The National Sheep


Association (NSA) is offering a service to its members whodo not have internet facilities to call the NSA office and complete the survey over the phone instead. To complete the survey,call


the office anyday during the week (from 9am-5.30pm) on 01684 892661, preferably with your NSA membership number to hand.


Top tips to help ease farmers through lambing


WITH the lambing season well underway,red meatpromotion agency HybuCig Cymru (HCC) has issued ahandyeight-point guide to ewe and lamb manage- ment immediatelyafter birth. “The period immediatelyafter


birth is acrucial time,” said Lynfa Davies,HCC’stechnical develop- ment executive. “Thereare severalmanage- ment aspects thatcan be consid-


ered to help ewesand lambs bond following birth.” The eight guidelines are: •Consider the sizeofgroup


and individual pens to enable ewestobond with their lambs – larger pens will avoid eweslying on lambs. •Aim to allow1.1 square


metres per ewe in group pens and individual pens thatare at least three squaremetres.Provide one


individual pen forevery eight to ten ewes. •Bring ewestofields closer to


the lambing sheds forafew days beforehousing. This will reduce stress,especially forfirst-time lambers. •Avoid disturbing ewes, espe-


ciallyyoung ewes, during the birth process. •Lower milk yields and poor let-down of milk areoften found


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


in stressed ewes. •Give ewesand lambs enough


time to bond. If lambing out- doors,leave them undisturbed for an appropriate time and only move with caresothatearly bonds arenot broken. •Makemothering ability a selection criterion when breeding replacements and use Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) to iden- tify suitablerams forbreeding. To


improvethe overall mothering ability of aflock, select daughters out of good mothering ewes. •Identify ewesthatare not


good mothers and remove from the flock. The tips and information on


reducing lamb losses,are avail- able in HCC publication Making Every Lamb Count, which can be downloaded at www.hccmpw. org.uk, or ring 01970 625050.


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