Council’s frozen food decision ‘appalling’, says NFU Cymru

A DECISION by Ceredigion County Council to provide frozen food to those who receive meals from its social services department has ‘appalled’ NFU Cymru.

“Clearly, as farmers in one of the most rural local authority areas in Wales, we have a vested interest in the issue and are appalled that the council is prepared to ‘export’ a food production industry on which so many farming families in Ceredigion depend,” Richard Tudor, the union’s county chairman, said this week. “The decision will only exacerbate the problems local producers have to contend with and makes a mockery of the authority’s commitment to food development enterprises for which primary production will be needed.

“It also goes against the Welsh Assembly and Welsh Local Government Association’s commitment to procure local food.

“Both are committed to the principle of public procurement of local food and significant strides are being made in getting Welsh beef into NHS Trust hospitals.

“It is, therefore, galling to learn that the council intends to use a contractor who is committed to imported food from across the world and produced under inferior standards to those exercised by farmers in Ceredigion.

“Surely the vulnerable and elderly who call on Ceredigion Social Services Department deserve to be supported and provided with the best quality food we can offer.

“I have written to the council’s chief executive expressing our concerns, and sincerely hope the decision not to provide food of local provenance can be reviewed.”