26 Farming   NFU CYMRU President Stephen


James has presented evidence to the National Assembly for Wales' Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee's inquiry into the Future of Agricultural and Rural Development Policies in Wales post- Brexit. The evidence session, which took


place on Thursday, January 12, at the Senedd, was an opportunity for NFU Cymru to express members’ views on what they believe agricultural and rural development policies should look like following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.


Giving evidence, Stephen James


said: “Farming is an important part of the Welsh economy; it underpins a multibillion pound food and drink industry, directly employs over 58,000 people on farm, has a gross output of £1.5 billion and 80% of the land area of Wales is managed by farmers. “In order for farmers to maintain this key work they are carrying out, alongside


their primary purpose of producing food to the highest quality and traceability standards, there must be a domestic agricultural policy that helps ensure farmers are able to deal with the volatility of the market. “Support payments that farmers


receive underpin all the points raised and make a positive contribution to the wider rural community - which is home to 33% of the Welsh population. The value of support payments to the rural economy has been demonstrated by NFU Cymru in the past where one farm was seen to support around 60 rural businesses each


Brexit a blank page: Stephen James, NFU Cymru


OVER the last few months, we


year.” In conclusion, Stephen James added:


“Brexit provides us with a blank page where we now have the opportunity to think of new ideas - ideas that are fit for purpose and enable the industry to not only survive but to thrive and become a world-leading producer. NFU Cymru is very grateful to the National Assembly for listening to the views of our members. “Now more than ever, we must


work together as we have the perfect opportunity to create policies that work for everyone and benefit the population of Wales.”


Reminder for sheep and goat keepers SHEEP and goat keepers in Wales


are being reminded to submit their annual inventory form by February 1, to avoid potential penalties. The form can be submitted by either


logging onto the EID Cymru website (www.eidcymru.org), or by returning the paper form in the pre-paid envelope.


Charlotte Priddy: ‘The annual inventory of sheep and goats is a legal requirement’


Once the form has been submitted,


keepers will receive a receipt, which should be kept for record-keeping purposes. Should you no longer keep sheep and goats and aren’t planning on keeping any in the next 12 months, you need to de-register as a keeper with APHA (0300 3038268). FUW Policy Officer Charlotte Priddy


said: “The annual inventory of sheep and goats is a legal requirement and it is vital that you record all the sheep and goats of which you are the registered keeper by CPH location on February 1. The number of sheep/goats you declare must include breeding sheep, rams, ram lambs, store and finished lambs, cull ewes/rams, goats and any other sheep. “It is important that you do this


to avoid a potential cross-compliance penalty and an increased likelihood of an inspection.” If you require assistance, contact the EIDCymru service helpline 01970


have been busy consulting with our members on the Welsh Government consultation ‘A refreshed TB Eradication Programme’. There was unanimous frustration


and concern that by continuing to ignore the advice regarding the need to cull badgers in order to control bTB, including previous recommendations made by the Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer (OCVO) and the Bovine Tuberculosis subgroup of the EU Task Force for Monitoring Animal Disease Eradication, successive Welsh Governments had failed both farmers and taxpayers. Specifically,


the scientific 636959 or email contact@eidcymru.org.


evidence suggests that the previously proposed badger cull in the Intensive Action Area (IAA) would by now have resulted in a reduction in confirmed bTB herd incidences of around 50% in the area, and similar successful plans would have been underway in other areas. Such positive results would also likely have been complemented by the additional cattle control measures in place in the IAA. By contrast, the now suspended


IAA badger vaccination programme has cost £3.7 million, but to date ‘consistent trends in indicators of bTB incidence have not yet been seen…’ As a result of this failure, Wales


has gone from being at the forefront of UK nations in terms of taking proactive measures to combat all sources of the disease, to being overtaken by England in terms of dealing with the wildlife reservoir and thereby achieving results which are likely to reduce bTB incidences significantly. It is also notable that the


consultation document refers to successful eradication programmes


‘Perfect storm’ warning THE FARMERS’ UNION OF


WALES described the prospect of a free trade deal with New Zealand and losing continental markets as a result of a ‘hard Brexit’ as a perfect storm for Welsh Agriculture. The comments came amid growing


speculation that the government will this week announce its intention to pursue a ‘hard Brexit’ by leaving the EU’s Single Market and Customs Union, and just days after Prime Minister Theresa May revealed the UK was seeking a free trade agreement with New Zealand. FUW President Glyn Roberts said:


“The livestock producers which make up the vast majority of Welsh farmers are particularly reliant on exports to the


continent, and we have made it clear since the referendum that full and unfettered access is essential to Wales.” Mr Roberts said around 30% of


Welsh lambs were exported to continental Europe, and that the complexity of pan- EU food supply chains meant there were acute threats for other sectors. “Certain cuts of meat are preferred


in the UK, while others are preferred on the continent, so in order to make up the value of a carcass it is essential that current markets are kept open.” Responding to the threat of a free trade


deal with New Zealand, Mr Roberts said: “I wrote to the former Prime Minister in July, highlighting our concerns regarding such a deal with a country which is in


implemented in New Zealand and Australia, without taking account of the inherent part wildlife management has played in those programmes. As such, our members felt


strongly that the latest proposals, being yet again focussed almost entirely on cattle control measures, fail to address the major source of infection which exists in badgers in large areas of Wales. We therefore once again urge


the Welsh Government to instigate meaningful measures to reduce badger numbers in areas where bTB cannot be attributed to cattle movements. Our members also expressed


major concern at the failure to provide statistical data and analyses which justify the cattle control measures proposed in the consultation document. They felt that farmers and


members of the general public were being asked to comment on costly and restrictive policies which may be underpinned by anecdotal evidence and incorrect intuition, as opposed to detailed statistical analyses of the available data collected over many years. Moreover, in the absence of such


analyses, there is a risk that policies which are restrictive, costly and burdensome to government and the industry will be introduced and later found to have little or no impact. We will continue to lobby


government on this issue, because without the commitment by Welsh politicians to tackle the wildlife disease problem, we will never achieve the success seen in New Zealand, Australia and other countries which have implemented successful eradication programmes by tackling the disease in both cattle and wildlife.


such direct competition with ourselves.” As far as the opportunities represented


by such a deal were concerned, Mr Roberts described these as negligible. “New Zealand has a population of


around 4.5 million, which is about 1% of the size of the EU, and is 11,500 miles away. “A free trade deal may be a great


opportunity for New Zealand, but the benefits for the UK as a whole are zero, and for agriculture are extremely negative.” Mr Roberts said he was concerned


that the deal was being touted for reasons of political expediency, and that gaining a market of 4.5 million consumers on the other side of the planet could not make up for the loss of a 500 million consumer market on our doorstep.


THE HERALD FRIDAY JANUARY 20 2017


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