The Farmers’ Union of Wales and FUW Insurance Services are looking forward to what promises to be a busy Royal Welsh Show (Monday 24 – Thursday 27 July 2023) which is taking place in Llanelwedd.
The week will be an opportunity for the FUW group to highlight to members, the public visiting the show and politicians why farming matters more than ever and what must be achieved if there are to be thriving, sustainable, family farms in Wales.
Speaking ahead of the show, FUW President Ian Rickman said:
“The team has done an excellent job in putting together a full programme of seminars and entertainment for everyone visiting our pavilion – members and non-members are welcome to join these seminars.
“There will be a variety of topical discussions in our seminars. Those issues, if not addressed, are going to affect the viability and sustainability of our family farms here in Wales and we will be lobbying and shining a light on those issues throughout the week.”
The FUW looks forward to welcoming Members of the Senedd and Members of Parliament, as well as industry stakeholders to the pavilion to discuss the many farming matters that have a profound impact on the agricultural industry.
With a family friendly approach, the FUW is also looking forward to selling milkshakes in the Lle Llaeth and is looking forward to see children and families visit the family marquee for an opportunity to see the revamped life- sized model of the FUW’s cow, Tegwen, who has been redesigned with a take on the infamous public art exhibition, CowParade; A new peep-board is also guaranteed to provide many fun photo opportunities.
Those coming to the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show can look forward to a series of seminars and discussion groups, which are all hosted at the FUW pavilion and sponsored by FUW Insurance Services.
Events held at the FUW pavillion:
Monday 24 July
11am – Q&A – Water Resources ‘NVZ’ Regulations
The Water Resources (Control of Agricultural Pollution) (Wales) ‘NVZ’ Regulations are having an impact on all farmers across Wales in one way or another. Come and hear from the FUW on where we are with the regulations before representatives from ADAS and Kebek explain what you need to do to comply with the requirements that came into force in January 2023 and future infrastructure regulations, followed by a Q&A session.
The event is chaired by Flintshire beef and sheep farmer Tim Faire, who is the FUW Land Use and Parliamentary Committee Chair.
Speakers include Gareth Parry, FUW Senior Policy and Communications Officer; Charles Bentley, Technical Director, Agriculture and Land Management, ADAS; Keith Owen, Director of Kebek.
3pm – How can on-farm renewable energy projects help towards meeting future targets without undermining food production?
Our reliance on and exposure to global fossil fuel markets has been laid bare over recent years. Vast amounts of renewable energy are produced on Welsh farmland but we have only tapped into a fraction of what is possible. How can we ensure that barriers are removed and incentives restored in order to boost agriculture’s contribution to future renewable energy targets without undermining our food production capacity?
The event is chaired by Dewi Owen, who is the FUW Diversification Committee chair.
Speakers include Julie James MS, Minister for Climate Change; Ed Bailey, Director of Baileys and Partners and Gareth Parry, FUW Senior Policy and Communications Officer.
7pm – Live Gig – Bwncath
Tickets, which are £10 per person, are available to purchase in advance or on the day at the FUW pavilion. Open to all. Tickets for this event don’t include entry to the showground.
Tickets are available here: https://tocyn.cymru/en/event/e0d2427e-b51d-433c-8803-3ddd620abace
Tuesday 25 July
2.30pm – ‘Not in my Name’ campaign launch
The National Federation of Women’s Institutes-Wales and Joyce Watson MS extend an invitation to you to join us at the launch of the 2023 Not in my Name campaign at the Royal Welsh Show in Llanelwedd.
Established in 2012, the Not in my Name campaign aims to raise awareness of violence against women and recruit male ambassadors to make the White Ribbon promise to ‘never use, excuse or remain silent about men’s violence against women’.
The prevalence of violence against women is alarming and unacceptable. Globally, 1 in 3 women will experience physical or sexual violence during their lifetime. Ending violence against women is everyone’s business and requires a whole society approach.
At the event, there will be an opportunity for you to learn more about the Not in my Name campaign, the impact of abuse and harassment on survivors and communities, and the important contribution that stakeholders can play in reaching out to the heart of rural communities to help tackle misogyny and harmful behaviours.
The event is chaired by Gill Rundle Wales WI and Joyce Watson MS.
Speakers include Ruth Dodsworth; Ann Williams manager of the Live Fear Free Helpline; Dafydd Llywelyn, Dyfed Powys Police Rural Crime Commissioner; Ian Rickman, FUW President and Rhianon Bragg.
4pm – Mental Health and Rural Communities with FAW and the DPJ Foundation
Join us as we discuss the progress that has been made in addressing mental health issues in rural communities and within the agricultural industry. This collaboration between the Football Association Wales (FAW), the FUW and DPJ Foundation also aims to bridge the gap between young men in farming and football clubs across Wales.
Joining speakers from the FUW and the DPJ Foundation is Noel Mooney (FAW CEO) who will talk about football clubs as hubs in local communities, how they can be used to house and support mental health services, and their vision for being a football association of wellness.
Wednesday 26 July
11am – Dog Attacks on Livestock: Where are We Now?
Join us as we discuss how best to prevent dog attacks on livestock following the unexpected u-turn on the UK Kept Aminals Bill. In particular we will be examining the role of DNA evidence to identify dogs where there have been no witnesses to the crime.
The event is chaired by FUW Mid Wales Vice President Anwen Hughes.
Speakers include David Allen, North Wales Police; Dr Nicholas Dawnay, Liverpool John Moores University and Ceredigion Plaid Cymru MP Ben Lake. Giving an opening address is Rob Taylor; Wales Rural & Wildlife Police Crime Coordinator.
2pm – Environmental Payments to farmers- a goldmine or a minefield?
How can we ensure private and public finance for ‘natural capital’ works for our family farms and food production in Wales, and what are the options? You may have heard of different types of environmental payments- the Government’s Sustainable Farming Scheme, carbon or biodiversity offsetting, nutrient trading, or simply one-off grants from charities, councils or local projects.
Whilst these can offer valuable additional income opportunities for farmers and help tackle climate change and biodiversity loss, there are also threats to farmland and the rural economy from the increased interest in offsetting markets by private companies. Our speakers will help outline the opportunities and risks for farmers in this new market.
The event is chaired by FUW President Ian Rickman.
Speakers include David Ashford, Welsh Government; Philip Meade, Davis Meade Property Consultants; Jake Elster-Jones, Pumlumon Project and researcher; Geraint Davies Fedwarian, NRW board member and farmer and Charles Cowap, visiting Professor in Land Management at Harper Adams University.
Thursday 27 July
10.30am – Hiraeth podcast
Members are invited to join the live recording of the Hiraeth podcast which will discuss Brexit and farming.
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