Wales Farmer 6


Glastir tops off first year with £5.2m payouts


WELSH farmers will have received environmental payments of £5.2million from Wales’s new farmland management scheme in its first 12 months. More than 100 farmers have also received grants to improve their slurry management. As Glastir headed towards its second year, afurther 700 Welsh farmers had been awarded entry level contracts from January 1st, 2013. The Welsh Government is confident that more farmers will join Glastir in 2014 because it will be the only environmental scheme in place in Wales. Existing Tir Gofal and Tir Cynnal extension agreements will expire on December 31st, 2013. Deputy farming minister Alun Davies confirmed that more than 4,500 farmers had expressed an interest in joining Glastir in 2014. “I would hope that we would sign up amajority of these farms to Glastir Entry to ensure the continuity of the valuable environmental goods and services the farmers involved have delivered so far,’’ he said. Despite continued criticism of Glastir, the minister insisted that the scheme was now more accessible and that farmers had to keep fewer records than they had to under the original Glastir model. “There is arenewed interest in Glastir and arecognition that the scheme will deliver for farmers and the environment alike,’’ he said. “It is important that all stakeholders with an interest in farming and the environment in Wales work together to ensure that farmers have objective and accurate information about the scheme to help them make an informed decision on applying to join.’’ Before Christmas Mr Davies accepted the recommendations made by across-party Assembly committee to strengthen Glastir. There were concerns that the programme, set up in 2010 to pay farmers for looking after the environment, had been badly delivered and communicated. The environment and sustainability committee believed more needed to be done to develop communications plans, support for farmers, record-keeping and support for woodlands. Alun Davies said he welcomed the committee’s investigation and its subsequent report.


NEWS February 2013


BEAUTY IN THE BEAST: Garnedd Gower.


PICTURE: Sion E. Richards £30,000 price tag on record bull


AN ‘exceptional’ Limousin bull has been sold for£30,000. May2011-born Limousin bull Garnedd


Gowerwas sold privatelyfor £30,000 by breeders K. I. and E. and H. Jones,ofBryn Ddraenen, Padog, Betws yCoed. The £30,000 price tagrepresents the high-


est price achievedtodatefor the Garnedd herd, which is run by Kenand Ellen Jones along with their son Hefin. The prefix wasestablished in 1998 and the


herdcurrentlynumbers 50 pedigree Limousin females running alongside a40- strong commercial herd. KenJones said: “In our opinion, this bull


is by far the best we have bred and he also has the breeding to go with it.”


In 2011, the Garneddherdwon the North


West Midlands and North Wales Regional Club HerdCompetition and went forward to the national finals wherethey secured the best stock bull awardfor Attirant. They have also achievedgreat success


with bulls at pedigree sales,including senior championship at Carlisle in October 2010 with the 12,000gns GarneddEifion. In May2012, GarneddFfrancon took the


overall championship and wassold for 10,000gns,then in October,they received 12,000gns forGarneddGrant. GarneddGower wassold to the pedigree


Garyvaughan HerdofColin and Elaine Lewis,ofButtington NewHall, Buttington, Welshpool.


Colin said: “Wehavebeen looking foran


additional stock bull forquite some time and from the moment we sawGarnedd Gowerheticked all the boxeswith his excep- tional size, conformation and mobility.” The couple,together with sons Graham


and Terry,established the Garyvaughan Herdin2001 which currentlynumbers 140 breeding females. They were winners of the extralarge and


overall herdawardsinthe 2012 NW Midlands andNWales Limousin Club Herd Competition and in September,the family took on an additional farmtenancy of 382 acres.Their newlyacquired bull will first be used at home beforehaving semen collected on-farm.


‘Senseless’ animalsrule set to stay


■ Farmer falls foul of invisible boundary By Debbie James


ACHANGE in the rules on livestock move- ment, which led to a Welsh sheep farmer being penalised when his animals crossed an invisible boundary line on his farm, will not be reversed. The Welsh Government


insisted thatArthur Roberts should have reported the movement of animals on his Denbighshirefarm.


The land in question is his


ownfarmand other fields registered as common land butwhich he solelyfarms.


For the latest Wales farming news: walesfarmer.co.uk Apolicy change by the


Welsh Government means thatthese twopieces of land arenow regarded as separate holdings. The Farmers’ Union of


Wales is urging farmers with areas of sole grazed common land to register links between their holdings and land known as CL99. The union says the Welsh


Government failed to notify the farming industry of this change in policy. CL99s were previously


treated as part of the farm holding and therewas no requirement to report or recordanimal movements between registered and unregistered fields. Mr Roberts,aformer


FUW county chairman, said the policy change made no sense. Part of his farmat


Hafodty Bach, Pentrefoelas, is registered as common land forhistorical reasons only. “None of it is shared graz-


ing and the land in question is just astone’sthrow from


the farmhouse,’’hesaid. “I could not believe it


when we were penalised fora change in policy which meant we should have been satinthe field dayand night recording the tagnumbers of animals as they wandered across an invisible boundary, and reporting these move- ments to the authorities.” He said the rule change


would mean morepaper- work and arisk of penalties. FUW agricultural policy


director Nick Fenwick said the change went against the Welsh Government’spolicy of reducing paperwork. “Wehavemade numerous


representations to the Welsh Government since March butthey areadamant that they will not reverse the pol- icy,’’hesaid. “Weare currentlyseeking


legal advice and have asked foranurgent meeting with the chief vet, butinthe meantime farmers should register links with all com- mon land which formspart of their holding.’’


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28