Mae Sioe Môn, a drefnir gan Gymdeithas Amaethyddol Môn yn un o uchafbwyntiau ein calendr blynyddol ar yr ynys. Eleni, roeddwn yn falch bod Gweinidog Amaeth Llywodraethy DU, y Gwir Anrh Mark Spencer AS, wedi derbyn eingwahoddiad i ymweld â Sioe Môn, fel gwestai i mi Chymdeithas Amaethyddol Môn, Daeth y Gweinidog a'i wraig i'r Sioe ar y diwrnod cyntaf a rhoddodd anerchiad ynystod agoriad swyddogol y diwyddiad.
The Anglesey Show – Sioe Môn - organised by the Anglesey Agricultural Society is one of the highlights of our Ynys Môn annual calendar. This year I was proud that the UK Government Farming Minister, the Rt Hon Mark Spencer MP, accepted my invitation to visit the Anglesey Show as the guest of both me and the Anglesey Agricultural Society. The Minister and his wife visited on the first day of the Show and he spoke at the formal opening of the event.
The show attracts a range of food, drink, clothing and craft stalls alongside agricultural trade stands and of course competitions. Thousands of people attend; people from all over the world as well as those of us from Anglesey who come to meet and catch up with friends. Special thanks to all the exhibitors, trade stands, sponsors, staff, contractors and especially the volunteers who make the two days such a success.
It was a pleasure to take the Minister to meet so many of you in our farming community that I am honoured to call my friends.
I would like to particularly thank the Lady President Gwen Williams and Enid Williams – for working with my team to arrange a fantastic day for Mark. I would also would like to thank Richard Williams and Peter Williams for accompanying Mark and me on the day.
The Minister enjoyed visiting Mona Dairy and was particularly impressed with their new battery electric vehicle (BEV) tractor and trailer for milk haulage – a UK first. He also met with Mona Tractors, the FUW, NFU and Ffermwyr Ifanc Môn and visited the Anglesey County Council tent where he was delighted to meet the Freeport team. He was especially appreciative of the warm welcome from Holyhead Town Crier and Councillor Jeff Evans, the inimitable Robert Carter, farmer John Foulkes, and the 2023 Show President and Lady President Wyn and Gwen Williams. Tony at Môn FM interviewed both the Minister and I with his usual professionalism. The Minister was impressed with the sheep shearing competitions and the skills of shearers like Jac Davies.
The Minister’s visit was particularly apt in a week when I – along with more than 100 Conservative colleagues - wrote an open letter to UK supermarkets urging them to champion UK farmers by creating a “Buy British” section on their websites.
The Anglesey Show gives a fantastic shop window to our amazing local producers and I appreciate that many of us try hard to shop local. I always enjoy shopping at Hooton’s Homegrown in Brynsiencyn and at our local markets in places like Amlwch, Beaumaris and Llangefni. It is important that our national retailers too take responsibility with a positive step to signpost shoppers to homegrown food to support our British producers, boost our economy and cut the UK’s carbon footprint.
I urge supermarkets like Tesco and Asda to include a “Buy British” tab on their websites which would collate produce from across the UK, giving customers greater power in their choices and allowing them to support our farmers and producers quickly and easily.
Many shops already highlight British products through labelling, so that shoppers can quickly identify home-grown produce when they shop in-store. It would be a straightforward step to enable a similar system online but this action needs to be led by the supermarket industry.
The campaign is backed by Theresa Villiers, a former environment secretary, and four members of the Commons environment committee and urges retailers to highlight the “very best” of what the UK has to offer in “a ‘Buy British’ section on online stores”.
Our farmers are the backbone of many British communities, including here on Môn Mam Cymru. They work hard all year round to ensure our national food security. They are crucial in supporting strong local economies and have been instrumental in preserving and protecting our environment. Eating food produced in the UK also gives a drastically lower carbon footprint when compared to imported produce.
Most major supermarkets do not yet have a dedicated tab on their online stores to direct customers to their entire British range. Sainsbury’s has a tab for “British produce” on its fruit and vegetables menu, while Waitrose has sections for “beautifully British fruit and veg” and “British regional cheese”. However, there are no Sainsbury’s and only one Waitrose on Anglesey.
I am urging other supermarkets like Tesco and Asda to support our local farmers online.
Minette Batters, the president of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), has come out in support of our “Buy British” initiative saying that political and public support for the UK farming industry was “more important and more valued than ever”.
Many farmers have expressed their concerns about the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) which will replace EU farming subsidies. The SFS will require farmers to have at least 10% tree cover on their land.
A blanket 10% target for tree cover is a blunt instrument in tackling climate change. If our farmers have less productive land, they produce less food and therefore we have to import more, which will inevitably increase our overall carbon footprint.
The best way we can support British farmers is to buy British produce and the best way to support Anglesey’s farmers and producers – and reduce our carbon footprint - is to buy fresh local in-season vegetables, dairy products, meats, drinks, baked goods, fish, shellfish, and other local produce.
National Back British Farming Day is on Wednesday 13th September. You can find out more on the NFU website here www.nfuonline.com. If you would like to join me in Westminster as my guest on this important day - do please get in touch.
