Dairy farming in Wales and the effect of price falls

• Parliament TV: Dairy farming in Wales
• Inquiry: Dairy farming in Wales
• Welsh Affairs Committee

Witnesses

Tuesday 3 March 2015, Committee Room 15, Palace of Westminster

At 9.30am

• Aled Jones, Dairy Board Chair, NFU Cymru
• Hazel Wright, Senior Policy Officer, Farmers Union of Wales
• David Handley, Chairman, Farmers for Action

At 10.15am

• George Eustice MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Farming, Food, and the Marine Environment
• Mark Filley, Sustainable and Competitive Farming Strategy Team, DEFRA

The Committee hears from representatives from the two main farming unions in Wales, the NFU in Wales and the FUW, and Farmers for Action. The Committee asks them about the situation facing dairy farmers in Wales and what effect recent price falls have had on them.

The Committee also hears from George Eustice, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Farming, Food, and the Marine Environment. The Committee asks him what the Government is doing to help dairy farmers and how well the Government’s current policies are working.

Focus of the session

• The impact of recent price falls and price volatility on Welsh dairy farmers
• The challenges particular to Welsh dairy farmers
• The competitiveness of Welsh dairy farms in comparison to farms in other European countries and worldwide
• The support that Welsh dairy farmers have received from the Welsh Government, UK Government, and the EU
• The effect of changes to the Basic Payment Scheme and the end of EU milk quotas in 2015
• The impact of the Voluntary Code of Practice and whether it can be improved
• The relationship between Welsh dairy farmers and major milk processors and purchasers

Further information

• About Parliament: Select Committees
• Visiting Parliament: Watch Committees