17/10/06
Buy into the view as you reach for your daily pinta. The message
from Welsh Dairy Event President and CLA regional director Jonathan
Andrews is unequivocal.
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He stresses that the consumer needs to invest in the
landscape with every purchase he or she makes. And there should
be a greater awareness of the very real threats to that landscape
posed by the dire economic situation afflicting dairy farmers.
"I do feel that there is a lack of awareness of the direct
relationship between the pint of milk, the pound of cheese, and
even the pack of butter going into the supermarket trolley and
the future of this wonderful environment", he said at the
opening of the Welsh Dairy Event at the United Counties Showground
in Carmarthen.
"We have to get the message across to people to think local,
to buy local. And it has to be realised that the landscape, our
market towns, our rural communities, all depend on agriculture.
"The quality of life in rural Wales is envied throughout
the UK. People strive to pay high prices for houses to buy into
a lifestyle that is precariously balanced. And yet so little
attention is paid to the stability of the industry that is the
bedrock of that lifestyle.
"The simple fact also is that local produce is good for
you. What could be better for your health than milk fresh from
your local farm, cheese, butter or yoghourt lovingly produced
in the Welsh countryside. And of course in terms of food miles
it's good for the environment".
Mr Andrews added that he hopes the Competitions Commission will
come up with some positive recommendations when it reports on
its inquiry into the grocery trade. And he is also challenging
the UK Government and the Welsh Assembly Government to come up
with constructive ideas.
He says fiscal and planning measures have to be conducive to the creation of
wealth in the countryside. Westminster of course is solely responsible for taxation
and the Assembly for planning.
TB is also a huge concern. Mr Andrews urged the Welsh Assembly
Government Countryside Minister, Carwyn Jones, to take strong
and decisive action once the Wales TB Action Group reports on
its findings in the New Year. He urged that the impending Assembly
elections should not be a consideration in any decision on badger
culling.
The Welsh Dairy Show which opens on October 17 is a showcase
for delicious cheeses, fresh milk and a variety of wild and wonderful
Welsh products, as well as some of the finest dairy cattle in
the UK. The event attracts visitors from all over the country.
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