The Farmers’ Union of Wales has welcomed the announcement by the Welsh Government regarding compulsory housing measures for poultry and captive birds across Wales, effective Thursday 13 November, in response to a significantly elevated risk of avian influenza.
All keepers of 50 or more birds of any species must house their birds. Mandatory housing also applies to flocks of fewer than 50 birds if eggs or poultry products are sold or given away. Additional biosecurity requirements will be introduced for the gamebird sector, which experienced outbreaks last season.
Carmarthenshire farmer Haydn Evans has been awarded the 2025 Farmers’ Union of Wales - United Counties Agriculture and Hunters Society Award, recognising his significant contribution to agriculture in Carmarthenshire.
An organic dairy farmer and Vice Chair of NFU Cymru Carmarthenshire, Mr Evans has been acknowledged for his long-standing commitment to the agricultural sector, both locally and nationally.
The Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) has welcomed today’s announcement by the Deputy First Minister, Huw Irranca-Davies, that an all-Wales Restricted Zone (RZ) for Bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3) will be introduced from 10 November 2025.
The Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) is pleased to announce the appointment of Angela Davies as a Non-Executive Director.
Angela brings a wealth of experience to the role, with more than 25 years in senior and director-level positions across the not-for-profit, charity, and local government sectors.
The Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) has welcomed the Welsh Government’s announcement confirming plans to introduce Bovine Electronic Identification (EID) for newborn calves in Wales using Low Frequency (LF) technology.
The announcement follows the publication of a summary of responses to the Welsh Government’s public consultation on Bovine EID, which ran from 19 June to 14 August 2025 and received 30 responses from industry stakeholders, farming unions, and other interested parties.
The Welsh Government confirmed it will move forward with the implementation of Bovine EID for newborn calves using Low Frequency technology. Implementation in Wales is not expected before 2027.
The Welsh Government also emphasised its intention to continue working closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to ensure, where possible, that implementation plans in Wales are aligned with those in England. Further details, including technical specifications for official Bovine EID ear tags, and practical guidance for cattle keepers, will be made available in due course.
The Welsh Government written statement is available in full here.
Responding to the announcement, FUW Policy Officer Elin Jenkins said:
“The FUW supports the decision to adopt Low Frequency technology for Bovine EID. This technology is already in use within sheep EID systems and is therefore familiar to farmers, avoiding the need for additional reading equipment. However, members recognise the potential challenges posed by differing EID technologies across the GB administrations and we remain eager to collaborate in identifying and overcoming these practical issues.
The FUW also welcomes the phased introduction of Bovine EID for newborn calves only and calls upon the Welsh Government to provide financial support to assist with the transition to this new technology.”
The FUW remains committed to working constructively with the Welsh Government, Defra, and other industry stakeholders to ensure that the introduction of Bovine EID in Wales is practical, proportionate, and delivers tangible benefits for the cattle industry.
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