In my view, a rural elector tempted to vote to LEAVE the European Union in the forthcoming Referendum is guaranteed to destroy other people's livelihoods; by contrast, a vote to REMAIN will directly serve to

safeguard his or her own job and the future of the rural economy. This was the clear message of an independent report, prepared by Rhian Nowell Phillips, formerly policy advisor of the Farmers' Union of Wales and commissioned by the then Liberal Democrat Assembly

Member for Mid and West Wales and Rural Affairs spokesman, William Powell.

 In current circumstances, British farming is totally reliant upon EU funding to guarantee sufficient fodder for our animals. Direct Farm payments must be kept at a high enough level to enable farmers to stay

in the vital business of food production. Food processing is totally dependent upon adequate levels of food throughput and with it tens of thousands of jobs. The message is crystal clear: save your job and guarantee our food security by voting to REMAIN in

the European Union. 

 The EU imposes import tariffs such as 15.7% on all poultry products. Brexit would see the average poultry farm lose a crippling £32, 000 from the  bottom line annually. Leaving the European Union would relegate

Great Britain to be a dumping ground for poor quality imports, many of them untraceable.

 Food provides the very sustenance that guarantees human existence - and it is money that grows food this year, next year and in the time to come. Therefore, EU membership sustains farm based food production.

53% of it is now exported to the EU and 373,000 jobs are thus sustained too.

 Wales receives £838,000,000 more through EU funding than it pays in (Parliamentary Question in Hansard) and 100,000 Welsh jobs are sustained- 50,000 in Welsh agriculture. The uncalled for cuts to the Single

Farm Payment SFP ( Pillar 1) by a Brexit Conservative Owen Patterson MP triggered a sharp rise in farm borrowings, with farm incomes at a 20 year low.

 It is now essential that we campaign for continued EU membership - and from within the EU, we must work with our natural allies, such as the Republic of Ireland and France to redouble the fight to increase the

farm budget, so that a sustainable number of animals can be fed. Our farming families must receive a reasonable income, so that 90% of farm workers' jobs can be sustained rather than lost.

 It is a simple fact that no one can spend money that is no longer guaranteed to be paid - even the banks will levy a higher interest rate to cover the risk margin. As I have indicated in the evidence above,

which is overwhelming: without export income from Europe, farmers' capacity to deliver food security will be lost - and with it the overall sustainability of UK food production.In stark terms, that equates to 60% of our national sheep flock - and the entire

disappearance of the cattle industry.

 All things considered, Brexit would have devastating consequences for agriculture in Wales and across the UK. For the survival and future prosperity of our farming sector, we MUST vote to REMAIN in the EU today.

David Hardwick 

Radnorshire