Mon, 24 Apr 2017 Ffermio

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-Are those who promote our farm

-produce efficient at their work?

-With Easter just gone...

-..shop shelves should have been

-packed with Welsh lamb.

-Did that happen? If it didn't,

-should we be asking why not?

-Also on the programme,

-how do you adapt a farming system...

-..to meet market requirements?

-In the past two or three years,

-it's been more difficult...

-..to sell lambs under 35 kilos,

-definitely under 30 kilos.

-Personally, the days of producing

-lambs just to produce lambs is over.

-How many of you

-ate lamb over Easter?

-If you did, where did it come from?

-Over the past few weeks,

-farmers have used social media...

-..to voice their frustration...

-..that supermarkets

-aren't promoting Welsh lamb.

-They're offering cheaper lamb

-from New Zealand.

-How do farmers in Ruthin Mart

-feel about that situation?

-How is New Zealand lamb so cheap?

-It's imported from across the world

-and still competes with Welsh lamb.

-We should have a better

-understanding with New Zealand.

-They have seasons

-when they can export their lamb...

-..and there are seasons

-when they don't export their lamb.

-The markets buy thousands of tonnes

-beforehand...

-..and they intentionally

-keep the prices down.

-There's good trade

-going on here today.

-Too much lamb from New Zealand

-comes over.

-We're not selling enough Welsh lamb.

-Welsh lamb

-is promoted as Welsh lamb.

-There's no lamb from England

-being promoted like Welsh lamb...

-..as was the situation

-two or three years ago.

-AHDB statistics show

-that there was a 36% drop...

-..in New Zealand lamb imports

-during February compared to January.

-Some feel that too much attention is

-given to New Zealand in our shops.

-I'm in Aberystwyth

-to assess the supermarkets.

-I'm asking shoppers what they buy

-and what do they search for first?

-Would you eat lamb at Easter?

-Yes, I would. It's always been in

-our family. We've always done that.

-Does it make a difference

-where it comes from?

-Yes. Being Welsh, certainly.

-Do you eat lamb at Easter?

-Yes, I do. Every fortnight,

-I visit the butcher near the bridge.

-Are we good enough

-at branding ourselves as Welsh?

-Not at all. I think we fall...

-We're way down in this goal here.

-We just don't do it.

-I try to support everything

-that's done in this country.

-Lamb is still popular

-at Easter time...

-..with 11,000 tonnes being sold.

-70% were legs ready to be roasted.

-Are the supermarkets promoting

-our meat at such a crucial time?

-We visited Morrisons.

-Right next to the entrance,

-at 5 a kilo, a leg of lamb.

-It had come

-all the way from Australia.

-We searched further

-to try and discover more.

-From the butcher

-at the far end of the shop...

-..we found lamb at 10.55 a kilo,

-although we saw very little of it.

-In Marks & Spencer,

-there was no Welsh lamb on display.

-They had a leg of lamb from

-New Zealand with a 1/3 discount...

-..for 7.99 a kilo.

-Moving on, we visited Tesco.

-Again, the legs of lamb

-were few and far between...

-..but there were

-Welsh lamb shanks with a PGI...

-..and a Meat Promotion Wales brand,

-for 10 a kilo.

-Finally, we visited Lidl.

-We couldn't find any legs,

-only lamb chops.

-They were all branded similarly

-with the Birchwood Farm mark.

-It was unclear

-where exactly they had come from.

-In general, we struggled to find

-any specifically Welsh produce...

-..but there was plenty

-from Australia and New Zealand.

-We asked the supermarkets

-why they placed Welsh lamb...

-..in less favourable areas

-of their shops?

-We also asked them about their

-policy of promoting Welsh lamb?

-We are proud that our shops in Wales

-sell Welsh lamb...

-..when it is available

-between June and February.

-From May until March,

-we sell 100% British meat...

-..and during the months it's not

-available, we sell New Zealand lamb.

-We try and sell British lamb during

-its season as much as we can...

-..and all our lamb

-comes from British farmers...

-..between July and December.

-Due to seasonal availability...

-..and to meet our needs

-and strict quality rules...

-..we sell British and New Zealand

-lamb between January and June.

-Meat Promotion Wales

-develops, promotes and markets...

-..red meat from Wales.

-Are they doing enough

-to promote Welsh lamb to the public?

-Are they trying to influence

-supermarkets at this time of year?

-In terms of imports, how does

-this year compare to last year?

-Well, we have seen

-that some supermarkets...

-..as they do each year, buy imported

-meat from New Zealand and Australia.

-More specifically, the legs.

-That doesn't sit comfortably

-with us or the industry.

-I'd like to see more Welsh lamb

-on the shelves at this time of year.

-We need to influence

-the supermarkets to do so.

-What's the role

-of Meat Promotion Wales?

-How much influence can you have...

-..on supermarkets

-that respond to customer demand?

-Once again, the only way

-we can influence that...

-..is by meeting the supermarkets...

-..telling them about

-the importance of Welsh lamb...

-..that it's labelled correctly

-with a PGI label...

-..and that the customer,

-if they buy it...

-..are buying it

-because it's lamb from Wales.

-Getting a balance

-between what's produced in Wales...

-..and the imports from New Zealand

-is very complex.

-What about the farmer

-that targets this early market?

-Alan Davies farms Llwyn Y Glyn

-in Llanrhaeadr, near Denbigh.

-He has 900 sheep, with 250 lambing

-early between December and January.

-First of all, why do you lamb

-some of your sheep early?

-We have ewes coming up

-from the flock.

-We sponge them, about 260 of them...

-..so that the oldest

-are lambing before the holidays...

-..and the others

-in the first week of January.

-We try and get a total count

-of 180-190% from them.

-They're sold from the age

-of 12 weeks to 16 weeks.

-The lambs will hit

-the Easter sales...

-..and into the month of May.

-Over the past few years,

-Easter sales have been up and down.

-It hasn't rewarded you

-as well as it previously did.

-Is it still worth the effort?

-A lot of effort goes into it.

-You're lambing when the day

-is at its shortest.

-Bring them in

-and back out as soon as possible.

-The sheep get about 20

-of concentrates if they rear twins.

-We'll get that 20 back on the price

-of the old sheep when we sell.

-Has it paid dividends

-over the years? You're still going.

-The Easter trade

-isn't what it used to be.

-The supermarkets don't help -

-they don't stock it over Easter.

-We rely on local butchers,

-some butchers in Manchester...

-..and some is exported.

-We've had 100-152

-this year already.

-They average around 110.

-We're not complaining.

-If we get 100, we don't complain.

-Anything above that is a bonus.

-How do you feel

-when you see your meat...

-..next to New Zealand meat

-in the supermarkets?

-When you see supermarkets

-stocking New Zealand lamb...

-..they're linked to a huge

-carbon footprint across the world.

-They can still sell it

-at a cheaper price.

-Supermarkets prefer it

-to meat from this country.

-What's the story in the mart?

-Is the price for new season lamb

-still high back here in Ruthin?

-Glyn Owens, in terms of price,

-it sounds good for the springers.

-There's a lot of competition

-for hoggets.

-Yes, the average price for lambs

-today was 2.90 per kilo.

-Taking it back to the price

-per head...

-..112 per lamb was the average.

-That's a good price, it compares

-favourably with recent years.

-I checked last year's prices

-yesterday.

-2.53 was last year's price.

-That's an increase

-of around 40p per kilo.

-It's always the same this time

-of year after a bank holiday.

-There's supply and demand

-so it does vary.

-Most of the lambs are exported.

-I'd say 70-80% of these lambs

-will be slaughtered in Wales...

-..and exported as carcasses.

-Does Easter, which changes date

-every year, influence the price?

-Oh, yes, it has a great influence.

-This time of year...

-..we see butchers

-from the Midlands buying.

-There's a greater demand for them

-there, and also local butchers.

-They're responsible for the trade

-on early lambs.

-We tend to hear that New Zealand

-competes with Wales at this time.

-Is there something we can do?

-Or do we have to live with it?

-We have to live with it

-unfortunately.

-I visited one supermarket

-last weekend.

-I couldn't find

-a single Welsh leg...

-..but there were

-plenty of New Zealand legs.

-That's very disappointing.

-We can't do a thing about it.

-If someone wants a Welsh lamb,

-support your local butcher.

-A lot of work is needed

-to promote our home-grown produce.

-We need to communicate with

-our customers as much as possible...

-..so that they know

-what we have to offer...

-..and how crucial they are to

-the success of our farming industry?

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-Historically,

-there is a market in Europe...

-..for smaller lambs

-from Welsh uplands.

-With economic problems in those

-countries, and Brexit looming...

-..those markets could shrink.

-Daloni met a farmer who's getting

-ready for challenges in the future.

-Here in the Snowdonia

-National Park...

-..farmers have been rearing

-sheep and lambs for centuries.

-Sheep thrive in this environment.

-The produce doesn't always meet

-the market demand.

-This is why change is needed.

-Paul Williams farms

-beef cattle and sheep...

-..at Cae Haidd, Nebo, near Llanrwst.

-Much of the 320-acre farm

-is within the park boundary.

-The mountain is part of the

-Hiraethog special conservation area.

-This area has traditionally

-bred small lambs...

-..for export

-to Portugal, Spain and Greece.

-These markets are rapidly changing.

-Up until the beginning of the '80s,

-we only had Welsh hill sheep.

-It's a strong area

-for Welsh hill sheep.

-From the beginning

-of the '80s onwards...

-..my grandfather and uncle crossed

-the flock with Border Leicester...

-..to create a Welsh half-breed.

-It was becoming more difficult

-to find a Border Leicester ram.

-Not only that, I wanted to improve

-the Welsh flock, the core flock.

-If I could improve that flock,

-the cross sheep would improve too.

-We started experimenting

-with the Penderyn sheep.

-Why do you feel the need

-to change the flock?

-In the past two to three years...

-..it's become more difficult

-to sell lambs under 35kgs.

-Definitely lambs under 30kgs.

-There's little demand for them

-in this area.

-Since we regularly record

-our sheep...

-..we noticed that we'd reached

-a certain place...

-..where we couldn't improve

-the Welsh hill sheep anymore.

-We've seen in one season, since we

-started using the Penderyn ram...

-..that our lambs

-come away 3kgs heavier...

-..than they were previously.

-Compare them to the ones

-you had three years ago.

-It's a Welsh hill sheep.

-It's not treated any differently to

-the other Welsh hill sheep we had.

-We send them out

-and they can survive on grass alone.

-It rears well.

-You've changed the flock

-to meet the market demand.

-Yes, most definitely.

-The days of producing lambs for

-the sake of producing them has gone.

-To ensure a future for the farm,

-the breeding scheme is important.

-This is the Penderyn sheep and

-the sheep you've traditional kept.

-What's the main difference

-between them?

-You can see instantly that the

-Penderyn sheep has a larger frame.

-It's a little bit longer too.

-The Penderyn sheep

-has very tight wool...

-..when it's seen side-by-side

-with the North Wales sheep.

-One thing I've also noticed

-is that the lamb is heavier.

-It's a good start.

-The difference

-between 30kgs and 35-36kgs...

-..will make a difference

-to your livelihood.

-That's how we decide

-whether we keep the sheep or not.

-Really?

-Here are the rams.

-Two Penderyns...

-Two Penderyns...

-

-At the far end.

-What are the other two?

-These are Fronteiras. They've

-replaced the Border Leicester.

-Fronteira is a mixture of what?

-It's a cross of

-a Bluefaced Leicester and a Texel.

-I can understand using a Texel

-to improve the hardiness...

-..but the Bluefaced?

-Bluefaced to improve

-the maternal side of the breed.

-The Penderyn, as you can see...

-..it helps us rear

-the purebred Welsh ewes.

-What's worked best for you?

-What's worked best for you?

-

-They both do different things.

-Both Penderyns give us

-a Welsh sheep, a hardy sheep.

-We cross the older sheep with the

-Fronteira to produce a crossbreed.

-As well as keeping sheep...

-..keeping suckler cows

-is also important to the business.

-They're looking

-to increase the herd.

-Do you have a special system?

-What we do, we buy the blues

-as bucket-fed calves.

-We rear them on the bucket

-and give them Limousin sexed semen.

-We keep the female calves as cattle.

-Do you buy locally?

-We buy them

-from three local dairy farms.

-They're the type of dairy cows

-I like.

-They don't have too much

-Holstein in them.

-They come from healthy farms.

-How many cattle do you keep?

-We're a touch over 40.

-We aim to increase to 50 next year.

-Being flexible to changes in farming

-is crucial.

-With so much uncertainty

-facing the industry after Brexit...

-..farmers will have to

-consider changing their systems...

-..in the future.

-It's not up to me to tell people

-how to run their businesses...

-..but we wanted to make

-a profit from our sheep here...

-..so we had to change.

-We've seen from our figures,

-in a short space of time...

-..things have changed for the best.

-Next, let's join Meinir.

-We now know that a General Election

-will be held on Thursday June 8.

-What caused Theresa May

-to change her mind...

-..while on a walking holiday

-near Dolgellau?

-Is this an opportunity for farmers

-and agricultural leaders...

-..to ensure that a rural voice

-will be heard in the manifestos?

-The Department for International

-Trade has held over 200 meetings...

-..since Brexit.

-Not one has included agricultural

-produce or representatives.

-The discussions have concentrated

-on finance and arms.

-This fact has led to

-some accusing the Government...

-..of ignoring the farming sector.

-The General Election

-is a chance for candidates...

-..to make a stand for rural areas.

-What issues concern farmers

-here in Llandovery Mart?

-I'm not sure what will help famers.

-They've been put to one side.

-I hope they'll come out of this

-in a better position.

-The food and drink sector

-is worth 109bn to this country.

-It's a huge sector.

-Food is important.

-That's all I have to say.

-Youngsters coming into

-the business of farming...

-..aren't being given

-the opportunities...

-..my brother and I had...

-..when we started farming

-60 years ago.

-I work for a local tractor company.

-People say if they received

-more money for their produce...

-..they'd spend more.

-There needs to be

-a bigger emphasis on agriculture.

-When we leave Europe...

-..we need more Welsh and British

-produce in British shops.

-They need to start

-looking after farmers.

-It's easy enough

-to talk door to door...

-..but it's more important to show...

-..that farming does exist

-and will exist.

-This election was called suddenly.

-Farming leaders and farmers have

-a chance to influence politicians.

-What are farming unions

-hoping to see in the manifestos?

-We have a chance to tell them how

-important farming is for farmers...

-..and also for rural communities.

-It's important that all

-political parties realise...

-..the importance

-of the rural economy.

-Farming matters

-is our slogan as an union.

-What will happen with Brexit?

-If food is imported for any price,

-rural economies will suffer.

-The political parties

-must realise...

-..that we can help

-the balance of payments...

-..by producing as much as we can

-in Britain and Wales.

-Farming might count as less than

-10% of the economy on its own...

-..but we're part

-of a much larger economy.

-As members and farmers,

-we must take this opportunity...

-..to question and lobby

-the politicians in this election...

-..right up to election day.

-Every pound invested into farming

-generates 7.40...

-..not only for the rural economy

-but the nationwide economy.

-We'll have details

-from all the manifestos...

-..and the latest developments

-during the next few weeks.

-Finally, what was the price

-for store cattle in Llandovery Mart?

-In general, it was very good.

-The steers were 2.22 a kilo...

-..and the heifers were 2.02.

-That was for all ages, up to 29

-months and down to seven months.

-That's all for now. Days are getting

-longer, the grass is growing.

-We'll be back next week.

-S4C Subtitles by Adnod Cyf.

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