Cauli Wobbles

I am alarmed to read in today’s Telegraph that the cauliflower is in danger of vanishing from our dinner plates. According to the NFU, the cost of harvesting is rising and supermarkets aren’t paying farmers enough. They cost up to 35p per head to produce, but some supermarkets are paying only 18p.

I have a weakness for cauliflower, particularly cauliflower cheese. It is one of the great British dishes, up there with fish and chips and toad in the hole. I would gladly pay more to ensure its survival.

Supermarkets have a heavy responsibility here. I urge Messrs Tesco, Sainsbury et al to enter into early dialogue with the cauliflower producing sector to secure continuity of supply of this noble brassica.

Rockin' Robins

Speaking of football, let us not forget Wrexham FC, the only North Wales team in the Football League.

Wrexham have always been a community-spirited club, as evidenced by the following press release received from the Farmers’ Union of Wales:

A joint message from the Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) and Wrexham Football Club urging fans to buy Welsh Lamb will be read out at half time during the Dragons match against Brentford at the Racecourse Ground on Saturday (December 15, 2007).

The message will also be printed in the match programme and posted on the club’s official website (http://www.wrexhamafc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Home/). The club have already supported the ongoing Hybu Cig Cymru campaign titled "Buy Welsh Lamb".

FUW County Executive Officer for Denbigh and Flint Gareth Wyn Jones, who contacted Wrexham club officials with the idea of putting out the message, said: "We are extremely grateful to staff, officials, players and coaching staff of Wrexham FC for their kind support in enabling us to get this very important message out to their supporters.

"The Welsh farming community appreciates the support and assistance in ensuring the message to buy Welsh Lamb is heard loud and clear.

"Due to the foot and mouth outbreak the Welsh agriculture has suffered huge financial losses arising from lost exports to both EU and third world countries, disruption to the normal movement of animals and to market transactions involving breeding, store and slaughter animals.

"All this has had an adverse impact on cash flow, profitability and investment on thousands of livestock farms in Wales on top of the effects of substantially higher feed prices on profitability."

Wrexham Team Manager Brian Little said: "We are only too pleased to support this message as we know the difficulties the farming industry in Wales has faced in recent months.

"The lamb produced in Wales is of a standard not equalled anywhere in the world and that’s why my players and I encourage everyone to support Welsh farmers and buy locally produced lamb."

The full message, which is also included in the match programme, reads: "The Farmers’ Union of Wales and Wrexham Football Club are today asking you all to support the Welsh agricultural industry and insist on buying locally produced lamb.

"The agricultural industry in recent months has faced enormous difficulties following the aftermath of the foot and mouth disease including an export ban and movement restrictions imposed upon them.

"The lamb our farmers in Wales produce is produced to an extremely high standard, not matched anywhere in the world. Therefore, please support your local farmers by buying Welsh Lamb.

"Your support would be very much appreciated, thank you for your attention."

Well done the Dragons – or the Robins, as a lot of us still call them.

Apologies for Light Blogging

Apologies for the light blogging over the last few days. I have been inundated with telephone calls from farmers distraught at the collapse in lamb prices. The confirmed case of bluetongue in Suffolk has added significantly to the traffic.

Farming is at a crisis and I am dismayed at the lack of government action to relieve the pain the agricultural community is feeling.

I have more meetings today and will blog further on this issue when I can.

Creaming it off

I have to say that I am pretty angry at today’s report from the Office of Fair Trading that the UK’s four big supermarkets colluded with milk processors to keep the price of dairy products artificially high.

Quite apart from the fact that consumers were cheated, the practice apparently continued while dairy farmers were going out of business at the rate of three a week in Wales because they couldn’t get a decent price for their milk.

We have to acknowledge that agriculture is a strategic industry; in times of war or other crisis our very lives will depend on farmers. Every time a farmer leaves the industry, valuable skills are lost and we become increasingly reliant on foreign-produced food, frequently from countries with dubious standards of husbandry, hygiene and animal welfare.

If the OFT’s charges are made out, I hope that the members of this squalid cartel get the kicking they will justly deserve.