Farmer Focus: Farm fatality overshadows visit by NFU head

In early February, we had the pleasure of hosting NFU president Minette Batters for an on-farm meeting, to meet union members in Montgomery.

I encouraged our daughters and a few local young farmers to be present to meet one of the most inspirational women in the UK.

The visit was co-organised with members of our neighbouring county of Meirionydd, where Mrs Batters visited a hill farm located in a severely disadvantaged location in the mountains of North Wales.

About the author

Dafydd Parry Jones

Dafydd Parry Jones and wife Glenys, Machynlleth, Powys, run a closed flock of 750 Texel and Aberfield cross ewes and 70 Hereford cross sucklers cows on 180ha. Their upland organic system uses Hereford bulls, Charollais terminal sires and red clover silage, multispecies leys and rotational grazing.

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This drew to the attention of both the national president and the NFU the diversity of the membership across the UK, and the varied challenges that they must face.

We are very fortunate to have people like Mrs Batters and her team, along with Aled Jones and Abi Reader here in NFU Cymru, who can raise their voices and debate with politicians at the highest level and hold them to account on future policies.

At the end of February, I was fortunate to attend the NFU conference in Birmingham. The theme of the conference was “Feeding a changing world”.

We were presented with very interesting and informative talks on the challenges ahead.

We also heard from politicians from various parties, very often saying all the things we wanted to hear. Especially ahead of a general election next year.

It was an opportunity to leave the farm and meet up with old and new friends and enabled us to reflect on the industry at a national level.

A few days after returning home, the ewes started to lamb, and the lambing shed will be my only destination throughout March.

In mid-February, we had the awful news that a local farmer and friend, Iwan Evans, had been killed in a farm accident involving a feed bin.

His son Dafydd was also seriously hurt. I’m glad to report that Dafydd is slowly recovering at Stoke Hospital.

Unfortunately, our local farming community has had its fair share of farm-related tragedies over the past months and years.

This underlines just how dangerous the industry is that we live and work in. Byddwch yn ofalus, everybody – be careful.