The Farmers’ Union of Wales’ Milk and Dairy Produce committee says tenants, young farmers, new entrants and small and medium family farms will go out of business in huge numbers as a result of new water regulations, while industrial scale dairy farming will be boosted. The conclusion came during a virtual meeting of the union’s Milk and Dairy Produce Committee on Wednesday 24 February.

The Water Resources (Control of Agricultural Pollution) (Wales) Regulations 2021 - which are copied from decades old EU Nitrate Vulnerable Zone regulations - were placed before the Senedd on 27 January. Shadow environment and rural affairs minister Llyr Gruffydd has tabled a Senedd debate proposing that the regulations be annulled, to be held on March 3.

Speaking after the meeting, FUW Milk and Dairy Produce committee Chairman Dai Miles said: “These regulations will have massive financial and production impacts for dairy farms of all size and type, but the overwhelming view of the committee was that it will be tenants and the small and medium family dairy farms that will be most likely to go out of production as a result of these regulations. 

At a recent virtual joint meeting of the Farmers’ Union of Wales’ Livestock, Wool and Marts, and Hill Farming and Marginal Land Committees, delegates discussed a Welsh Government and Defra consultation on ending live animal exports for slaughter and introducing restrictions on transporting animals. The consultation paper has already been considered by the Union’s twelve County Executive Committees.

Delegates were of the view that Welsh farmers should not be discriminated against by a ban on exports when those in other countries and around the world are free to move animals in ways which fall well below the high standards we have in the UK.

FUW Livestock, Wool and Marts Committee chairman Morgan Jones-Parry said: “The live export issue has been a hot topic for many years, and where animals from any country are transported in ways which do not meet UK and EU rules (which are the highest in the world), causing suffering, this is clearly unacceptable.

The Farmers’ Union of Wales, jointly with Wales YFC and FUW Insurance Services , are hosting a livestock worrying webinar to address the on-going livestock worrying incidents across Wales. 

The webinar, which is open to all FUW, Wales YFC members and FUWIS customers, will take place on Thursday 25 February at 7pm via Zoom.

The webinar will hear from Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn, North Wales Police Rural Crime Team Manager and Chair of the NPCC (National Police Chiefs Council) Livestock Offences group Rob Taylor and PC Dave Allen, North Wales Police Rural Crime Team and secretary of the NPCC Livestock Offences Group, FUWIS Account Executive Gwenno Davies, Ceredigion livestock farmer Wyn Evans and Wales YFC Rural Affairs Chairman Clare James will be chairing the Q&A session.

Farmers’ Union of Wales members from Montgomeryshire, as well as the British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) have met with local MP Craig Williams to discuss the impact Brexit is having on meat exports and highlighted the need to address non-tariff barriers that are causing major problems for exporters.

Mr Williams, a member of the International Trade Committee, heard that many if not most exporters kept consignments at minimum levels or decided not to export at all in the first weeks of January, but that there were nevertheless a range of significant problems for most if not all food sectors, despite volumes being much lower than average.  

Outlining the problems exporters currently face, Chief Executive Officer at BMPA Nick Allen said: “For our exports there are delays, hick-ups and it’s not flowing in the amounts we want. There are too many moving parts to the process and things change on a daily basis.”

The MP further heard that in terms of animal products the UK is only sending 30 - 40% of what would normally be exported and it’s not adding much value, especially as many are sending smaller loads or not sending at all.