The group requested a focus on dairy and NFU Cymru arranged for the group to visit NFU Cymru Deputy President, Abi Reader's farm, just outside Cardiff, and the Lougher family at Ty Tanglwyst Dairy, by Bridgend.
The UK's agri-food attachés are based in UK Embassies all over the world, and act as the country's eyes, ears and voice in diplomatic missions.
Role of an agri-food attaché role
Their role is to broaden market access for British products, break down barriers and drive export growth in priority export markets through in-country engagement. The establishment of the network of agri-food attachés follows extensive NFU Cymru lobbying and is part of the union's ambition to grow UK agri-food exports by 30% to £33 billion by 2030. Joining NFU Cymru on the visit were attachés that are currently based in export markets around the world including Asia, South America, Africa, Europe and North America.
On their first official visit to Wales, NFU Cymru used the opportunity to highlight how ambitious it is for the future of Welsh food and drink. Outlining to the attachés that the UK's maritime climate and high standards of production mean we are perfectly placed to supply climate friendly food to the plates of more consumers around the world. With a role to promote exports from across the UK, we were also able to discuss the culture and heritage that sits behind Welsh dairy products, an important part of the story when marketing to customers abroad.
Knowledge transfer
For many of the group it was their first time on a dairy farm, they heard from Abi about the work dairy farmers do to ensure their cows are healthy and happy, with questions covering a range of topics from foot trimming and veterinary medicine usage through to youngstock management. In this context, the role of farm assurance in evidencing our high standards of production was highlighted. Discussions also touched on the work farmers do to maintain and enhance the natural landscape, and Abi outlined how food production goes hand in hand with environmental delivery. With several of the attachés involved in securing access for UK bovine and ovine semen exports, the group discussed with Abi the investment the dairy sector has made in genetics and the potential productivity and hence carbon footprint improvements which can be attributed to breeding better cows. This discussion was complimented by the opportunity for the attachés to meet Abi’s AI technician and watch him inseminate a cow.
Ty Tanglwyst Dairy
The group then travelled down the M4 to visit John and Rhys Lougher and family at Ty Tanglwyst Dairy near Bridgend. The Lougher family process the milk from their herd of pedigree Holstein cows, which are milked three times a day, into fresh bottled milk, cream and butter.
The dairy products are sold locally in farm shops, distributed through a domestic doorstep and commercial delivery, and sold wholesale to customers further afield and to local councils. Rhys and John spoke with the group about the wider dairy industry in Wales, highlighting the nutritional benefits of including dairy in a balanced diet.
This was of particular interest to the attachés, many of whom are based in export markets such as China and Asia where governments are looking to increase the volume of dairy in diets as a source of protein and calcium.
The attachés visited the dairy processing facilities at Ty Tanglwyst farm and learnt about how milk is pasteurised and processed into a variety of products, with a focus on food safety. The Lougher family also gave the attachés the opportunity to try some of their products whilst enjoying some warm Welsh cakes – a first for many of the group.