Farming
Producers talk post-Brexit food brand protection
REPRESENTATIVES of some of the UK’s most iconic foods met with MPs and Peers at Westminster on Tuesday (May 15) with the future of Protected Food Names top of the agenda.
Politicians crowded into Westminster’s Jubilee Room for a showcase of foods from among 86 products which currently enjoy designation under the European Protected Food Names scheme. The event, organised by the UK Protected Food Name Association (UKPFN) was an opportunity to discuss how the brands bring £4.8 billion in export income to the UK each year, and how the scheme could be maintained after Brexit.
Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) had a major presence at the event, with samples of PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) Welsh Lamb and Beef proving popular among the politicians.
“PGI designation has been the cornerstone of efforts to grow new markets for Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef, at home and abroad,” said HCC Chief Executive Gwyn Howells. “It is recognised as a mark of high quality and traceability among the food industry globally.
“We naturally take a close interest in how these brands, currently protected under EU law, will be maintained after Brexit,” he added. “As part of the UKPFN Association, we have been engaging actively with the Westminster and Welsh Governments.”
Gwyn Howells explained: “It is possible for products outside the EU – such as Colombian Coffee – to have this designation. However the issue is part of the Brexit negotiations, and nothing is yet guaranteed.
“It’s vital that a solution is found to enable lamb and beef from Wales to maintain their current status alongside iconic products such as Champagne and Parma Ham,” he argued.
“PGI Welsh Lamb and Beef is a billion pound industry employing thousands on farms and in the supply chain. Anything less than a seamless transition to an equivalent scheme which is recognised worldwide could risk the export success that Welsh red meat has enjoyed over the past decade.”
The event was sponsored by Arfon MP Hywel Williams, and featured over thirty products from England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and a large delegation from Wales including Anglesey Sea Salt and Welsh Wine.
Lesley Griffiths, Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Energy Planning and Rural Affairs said “Protected food names are internationally-recognised badges of authenticity and originality. Wales produces world-leading food and drink of the best quality. Our Protected Food Name basket is growing, which gives recognition to the dedication of our producers to quality and ensures that their products are protected under EU law.
“The EU scheme has registered products from as far as China, Cambodia and Turkey, which demonstrates that when UK leaves the EU there is a strong precedent set towards negotiating our continued part in this scheme, the Welsh Government will work hard to ensure this. Wales has deep experience in food and agriculture, and the substantial number of protected and designated products is a result of our ability to combine traditional farming methods with innovation and technology.”
WALES will no longer see the golden eagle fly through the skies after the last of its kind was found dead by a walker in Abergwesyn Valley, near Llanwrtyd Wells.
The Golden Eagle was native to Wales, Europe and North America and due to human persecution had begun to die out, the last breeding pair being found in Snowdonia in 1850. It is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere, but unfortunately Wales will not see the bird in action for a very long time.
The female bird of prey was being watched and followed by the presenter of Spring Watch, Iolo Williams, and will appear in the last episode of the latest show ‘Iolo: The Last Wilderness of Wales.’
The company behind the television show which captures the highlights of Welsh wildlife, Aden Productions, commented on the extinction of the Golden Eagle. Taking to twitter, a statement read:
“Our whole crew was shocked and saddened to hear about the demise of our beloved Cambrians golden eagle, the last golden eagle to fly wild in Wales. We hope our final episode of Iolo: The Last Wilderness of Wales is a fitting tribute to her.”
It is still not known how the female bird died, leaving questions for bird lovers, but plans are being made by the Eagle Reintroduction Wales project to reintroduce the bird of prey back into Welsh wildlife is under way. However, it is explained that this is not a simple process. They will firstly need Natural Resource Wales to issue a license which does take time.
The Golden Eagle has not left the UK completely and can still be found in the far North of Scotland.
JIM EGAN has sent out a rallying cry for people to pick up their binoculars and go bird-spotting for the Big Farmland Bird Count (BFBC) which returns on Friday, February 8.
The passionate organiser of the count, organised by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT), is urging farmers, land managers, gamekeepers and all wildlife enthusiasts to spend 30 minutes recording what species they see on their patch of land from February 8th to the 17th.
Your support will help identify the farmland birds that are flourishing due to good conservation methods and ones in need of most support.
“It would be fantastic to see even more farmers to take part in the count this year,” said Jim.
“Counting birds on farms is a great way to recognise what species are there as well as being an opportunity to take time out and see the benefits of work such as wild seed mix and supplementary feeding.
“Taking part and submitting results enables us at GWCT to shout about the important conservation work many farmers are doing.
“We want landowners to be proud of their efforts. We will make sure that the public and policymakers hear about what can be achieved on Britain’s farms. The BFBC is a very positive way to showcase what can be achieved.”
Backing this vital citizen-science project, running for the sixth successive year, is the NFU, which is this year’s sponsor.
President Minette Batters is vowing her support to the count by going bird-watching on her farm in Downton, Wiltshire.
She will be joined on day one with GWCT biodiversity advisor Pete Thompson, an advocate of the count, both of whom will be ready with their binoculars, notepads and sharpened pencils, recording what they see.
“I am delighted to be taking part in this year’s GWCT Big Farmland Bird Count which the NFU is pleased to be sponsoring for the very first time,” she said.
“It’s becoming an important national event where thousands of farmers and growers around the country are able to take stock of and importantly, take pride in what they find on their land.
“The NFU supports initiatives like the Big Farmland Bird Count as without sound management of the environment, enhancement of habitats, protection of wildlife and support for pollinators and soils, we do not have farming businesses.
“So, I would encourage all farmers to take part, and also remember to submit your records to the GWCT, so we can pull together a vital national snapshot of the state of the nation when it comes to farmland birds.”
A record-breaking 1,000 people took part in last year’s count, recording 121 species across 950,000 acres.
A total of 25 red-listed species were recorded, with five appearing in the 25 most commonly seen species list. These include fieldfares, starlings, house sparrows, song thrushes and yellowhammers. The most plentiful of these were fieldfares and starlings, which were seen on nearly 40% of the farms taking part.
At the end of the count, the results will be analysed by the Trust. All participants will receive a report on the national results once they have been collated.
HYBU Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) has appointed two new Flock and Herd Health Officers to its ambitious five-year Red Meat Development Programme, designed to equip Wales’s lamb and beef industry for a changing future.
The posts are key to delivering the programme’s commitment to helping farmers achieve on-farm efficiency and drive best practice in proactive animal health planning.
The programme is supported by the Welsh Government Rural Communities – Rural Development Programme 2014 – 2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.
Lowri Reed hails from a farming background near Llanon in central Ceredigion, whereas Lowri Williams is from Llanfihangel y Creuddyn near Aberystwyth, and is a graduate in Animal Management and Welfare from Harper Adams University.
Dr Rebekah Stuart, the coordinator of the Flock and Herd Health Project at HCC, said: “We’re delighted to have recruited two officers with experience and knowledge of agriculture and flock management to this important strand of work.
“There are few things that can have as great an impact on the efficiency and bottom line of a livestock enterprise as a proactive and coordinated approach to animal health and eradicating disease.
“The project will help farmers to work with vets to put health plans in place and monitor their effectiveness. Since opening an initial expression of interest window late last year at the Winter Fair, we’re encouraged by how many farmers are keen to be involved. We look forward to working with them to put this exciting project into action.”
