Food vision for Wales

Mar 11 2008 by Gareth Vaughan, Western Mail

THE Farmers’ Union of Wales has always been a strong supporter of the Welsh language and culture as we regard them as the mainstay of our rural communities and traditional way of life.

Our colourful stands at the National and Urdd Eisteddfodau every year are hives of activity and FUW staff are also given a day off on St David’s Day to celebrate the life of our patron saint.

Although March 1 fell on a Saturday this year the staff still enjoyed their traditional day off on Friday. And some of them were back on duty on Saturday – helping to celebrate the Welsh language.

In partnership with Hybu Cig Cymru-Meat Promotion Wales, they manned a stall at Aberystwyth Farmers’ Market where a life-size model of a dairy cow named Tegwen (Welsh for fair and white) took pride of place.

The FUW is one of a dozen organisations and societies which recently formed a new movement – Mudiadau Dathlu’r Gymraeg – which aims to celebrate Welsh and protect its status as a community language. During the four-hour market in Aberystwyth free samples of Cawl Cennin and tasters of meat from stallholders Dolithon Meat, of Dolau, near Llandrindod Wells, were handed out to shoppers.

Llanilar primary school choir admirably performed Welsh songs and there was an opportunity for shoppers to show support for the Wales YFC movement and the Welsh rugby team as anyone buying a YFC Supporter’s badge received a free picture of Welsh scrum-half, farmer’s son Mike Phillips.

The event was an ideal occasion to promote the Welsh language and the top quality food Wales produces. During last summer’s Royal Welsh Show the FUW launched a Buy The Welsh One campaign to encourage people to buy local food and we also used the St David’s Day event to launch a free Welsh car sticker – Mynnwch Gynnyrch Lleol (Insist On Local Produce) – in support of that campaign.

Painted in the colours of the Welsh national flag, Tegwen is one of a 14-strong “herd” of dairy cows, representing all the member countries of the European Milk Board, specially produced to highlight its demand for a fair milk price for EU farmers.

Meanwhile, Welsh farmers should remember the latest date on which pre-movement bluetongue tested animals will be allowed to return from the bluetongue zone to clear areas of Wales will be March 14. Defra and the Welsh Assembly Government have confirmed that the current Vector Free Period will end at midnight on March 15 – but it could be sooner depending upon midge activity and other factors. March 15 is only a projected date based upon scientific and meteorological evidence. Obviously, neither WAG nor Defra have the power to predict or change when exactly midge activity will increase the risk of bluetongue transmission.