Roger Williams

Liberal Democrats | Brecon and Radnorshire

The 2003 Royal Welsh Show

Article by Roger Williams, Member of Parliament for Brecon and Radnorshire.

The person fortunate enough to be Brecon and Radnorshire's MP also enjoys the privilege of being the ‘host' MP to the greatest show on earth. Being a Breconshire farmer, born and bred on my farm near Brecon, this privilege has added significance for me. My pride at the Royal Welsh Show's ever-increasing importance and world-wide influence is one shared I am sure by everyone in Wales. Indeed we should be proud that Wales is the country whose national Show is unequalled anywhere else in the world, in terms of the unmatched quality on display at every turn and in every corner of the showground at Llanelwedd.

That quality is the key to sustaining the rural economy in Wales in the future. The cold wind of global competition has already been felt in recent times, to add to the major difficulties whose names I dare not mention, which have afflicted British agriculture and the whole rural economy over recent years. With the new reforms of the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the Welsh rural economy will be even more exposed to those global winds, but will also have great opportunities in an expanded market place. The key to taking advantage of those opportunities is to quickly build on the quality of production that Welsh farming and rural enterprises have already achieved, and which has already provided entry in to many new markets at home and abroad in recent times.

The other great need in my view is to more closely integrate the land-based, tourism and industrial sectors in Wales, to provide added value, a clear national identity and greater long-term sustainability for what we produce within Wales. To help achieve this and a great deal more, the big advantage which we in Wales have, but which perhaps we have not fully recognised yet, is the Royal Welsh. This is our shop window on the world and we've certainly got something good to sell.

There is a saying that Welsh farmers are good at producing the goods, but the previous subsidy regimes dulled their ability to promote and sell them well. There may be some truth in that, although in recent years some extremely enterprising Welsh farmer-owned businesses, operating beyond the farm gate, have been set up, survived the recent crises, and are moving ahead again. We must build on their example, create more enterprises and take full advantage of the unique opportunities that events like the Royal Welsh Show provide to those enterprises.

Farming, tourism and the rural economy will have to change in the coming years. Their ability to do that is enormously enhanced by the Royal Welsh. We all owe everyone involved in planning and running it a great debt of thanks. They have truly created the greatest show on earth and the flagship event from which all of Wales, rural and urban, has the means to reach out to the rest of the world.

Enjoy the week. There's nothing to touch it.