Farmers enjoy great support from the public', NFU Cymru conference told

20 December 2019

‘Farming has a great story to tell and the industry enjoys great support from the public’. That was the key message from NFU Director of Communications, Fran Barnes, when she addressed members at the NFU Cymru Montgomeryshire County Conference.

Speaking at the event, held at Maesmawr Hall Hotel in Caersws on Wednesday 11th December, Fran outlined the high exposure the industry receives in the media and the positive regard in which the public holds farming.

She added: “We have a massive amount of support from the public. Every year the NFU conducts a Farmer Favourability Survey that looks at how farmers’ work and produce is perceived by the general public. That survey shows that favourability towards farming and farmers has grown from 60% to nearly 70% in the last seven years. That's a really strong position for us to be in.  A recent survey carried out by AHDB also shows that the levels of trust in farming are also very high.

“You also have to remember that farming has an incredible market penetration, for example 98% of people in the UK have milk in their fridge, with most of that produced on these shores. There are major brands and corporations who would love that kind of market penetration.

“We have a fantastic story to tell and we enjoy unparalleled media coverage. There are times where we do get a few knocks but that is almost inevitable with the really high profile this industry has. We are in a good place but we mustn’t be complacent because that public support takes a long time to build and it can be quickly knocked down again.

“There’s no getting away from the fact that there are a lot of challenges: the unpredictable weather events we have experienced in recent years, various regulatory challenges, changing politics, pressure from activists and what feels like a concerted campaign from some media outlets to tarnish our industry. But I do feel that there is a lot to be positive about and that great support from the public is well earned and appreciated.”

NFU Cymru Deputy President Aled Jones also spoke to members during the meeting, discussing several areas of the union’s work including bovine TB, water quality regulations, Brexit, climate change and farm safety.

NFU Cymru would like to thank HSBC UK for sponsoring all 11 of the union’s county conferences.

Picture caption: (L-R) NFU Cymru Montgomeryshire County Adviser Joe Mault; NFU Cymru President Aled Jones; Sue Jones, HSBC; NFU Director of Communications Fran Barnes; outgoing NFU Cymru Montgomeryshire County Chair Alex Higgs; new NFU Cymru Montgomeryshire County Chairman Hugh Besent

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