The Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) has raised serious concerns about proposals to change the rules surrounding lamb castration and tail docking, warning the measures could have unintended consequences for animal welfare and sheep farming businesses.

Responding to the UK Government’s recent consultation on lamb welfare, the Farmers’ Union of Wales said that while farmers recognise the importance of welfare standards,  the proposals as currently drafted are impractical and fail to reflect the realities of sheep farming systems across Wales and the UK.

The Union emphasised that although castration and tail docking do cause pain, they are essential management tools used to prevent serious welfare issues throughout the life of the animal. These important management procedures reduce the risk of fly strike, prevent unintended pregnancies in ewe lambs, and minimise injuries caused by aggressive behaviour in entire ram lambs.

A key concern raised by the FUW is the proposal to mandate the use of unauthorised pain relief in neonatal and young lambs undergoing these procedures. The Union argues that the proposals are inherently premature due to the current limited options and unauthorised status of medicines specifically for use in lambs. These off-licence medicines have not been tested or researched for use in sheep and are only prescribed through veterinary cascade.

The proposals would also place significant pressure on veterinary services during the lambing period, potentially creating delays in accessing treatment and increasing administrative burdens.

The FUW believes this approach could create risks for both animals and farmers, including the possibility of over-dosing lambs due to extremely small dose volumes, increased risk of infection at injection sites, and additional stress on lambs from repeated handling.

The Union also raised concerns about proposals to extend the upper age limit for routine castration and tail docking from seven days to three months. Members viewed carrying out these procedures on older and larger lambs would likely increase welfare issues and infection.

While members broadly supported the suggestion to delay procedures to allow lambs to receive colostrum and bond with their mother, the Union stressed that a strict 24 hour rule is not a practical proposal.

The FUW also warned that the proposals could place UK sheep producers at a competitive disadvantage if introduced without equivalent welfare standards required on imported lamb. Additional veterinary involvement, medicine costs and increased labour requirements could significantly raise production costs for domestic producers.

The Union believes the proposals would disproportionately affect extensive upland sheep farms, which are particularly important to rural communities in Wales and play a key role in maintaining the rural economy, landscape and the foothold of the Welsh Language.

FUW Animal Health & Dairy Committee Chair, Gerwyn Williams said: “Farmers care deeply about the welfare of their livestock and these procedures are never carried out lightly. However, the proposals outlined in this consultation do not reflect the practical realities of sheep farming and risk creating greater welfare problems than those they seek to address.

“While we recognise the importance of reducing pain wherever possible, the current lack of authorised medicines for use in young lambs and the reliance on the veterinary cascade to prescribe off-label medicines raises serious safety and practical concerns. There is a real risk that these proposals could increase stress on animals, increase health and welfare concerns, and place further pressure on already stretched veterinary services.”

FUW President, Ian Rickman added: “It is essential that any future policy is developed in close partnership with farmers, vets and industry experts to ensure that changes genuinely improve animal welfare without creating unintended consequences for the animals or the farming businesses responsible for their care.”

The FUW is calling for further research and greater engagement with the farming industry before any legislative changes are introduced. The Union believes a more pragmatic approach is needed to ensure future animal welfare policies are both practical and effective across the wide range of sheep farming systems operating throughout the UK.

The FUW’s consultation response can be found in full here.

As the lambing season gets underway, the Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) convened a joint meeting with representatives from Dyfed-Powys Police and Wales’ Rural and Wildlife Crime Coordinator to discuss new legislation designed to strengthen protections for farmers from dog attacks on livestock, which comes into force later this month.

Under the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Act 2025, police will be granted enhanced powers to seize and detain dogs suspected of attacking livestock.These include entering premises to secure evidence or animal DNA, helping to prevent future incidents. Alongside this, Courts will also be able to require offenders to cover the costs of seizing and caring for a detained dog.

From 18 March 2026, the Act will also remove the previous £1,000 cap on fines for livestock worrying offences in Wales and England, paving the way for unlimited fines and delivering a stronger deterrent against irresponsible dog ownership.

The meeting was held at Bryn Gido, Llanarth, Ceredigion, the home of FUW regional vice-president, Anwen Hughes. During the discussion, Anwen shared her personal experience of dog attacks on her flock, most recently last April when three lambs were killed. Reflecting on the ordeal, she highlighted the profound impact such incidents have on farming families - not only the immediate financial losses, but also the significant emotional and mental strain that follows.

Among those in attendance were Ifan Charles, Chief Constable of Dyfed-Powys Police; Dafydd Llywelyn, Police and Crime Commissioner; and members of the force’s Rural Crime Team. The meeting provided a valuable opportunity to discuss how best to raise awareness of the new legislation among farmers and the wider public.

Wales’ Rural and Wildlife Crime Coordinator, Rob Taylor, also attended and offered insight drawn from years of campaigning for stronger measures to tackle dog attacks on livestock, particularly during his recent role as the National Police Chiefs' Council’s Livestock Attack Lead.

Commenting following the meeting, FUW regional vice-president Anwen Hughes said: 

“The FUW has long campaigned for stronger police and legal powers to tackle dog attacks on livestock. We therefore welcome the introduction of this long-overdue legislation that will hopefully provide an important step forward in protecting livestock, supporting farmers, and strengthening rural communities.”

"In the meantime, it’s vital that dog owners demonstrate diligence and responsibility when out near fields and livestock. Dog owners should never underestimate their dog; even the most friendly and well-trained dogs have a natural instinct to chase and it's vital that owners act responsibly when out in the countryside.”

Rob Taylor, Wales’ Rural and Wildlife Crime Coordinator added:

“Livestock attacks by dogs remain a serious issue for our farming communities, with impacts that go far beyond financial loss, and the emotional strain on farming families cannot be underestimated.

This new legislation gives police and the courts stronger powers to investigate incidents and hold offenders to account, while extending protection to animals not covered under the previous Act. We hope that, alongside our responsible dog ownership course, it will help reduce incidents and better protect our rural communities.”

The meeting was held ahead of the launch of Dyfed-Powys Police’s new 2026-2030 Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy & Delivery Plan, which sets out how the force will prevent, reduce and respond to Rural and Wildlife crime across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Powys.

Our Head of Communications, Aled Morgan Hughes, recently reminisced with one of the FUW's Life Members, Swancott Pugh.

I was born and raised at Henblas, Llwyngwril, as an only child. Life on the farm was an integral part of my upbringing. Whether it was driving the tractor or spending hours among the animals, farm life shaped my childhood - although I must admit I always preferred the black cattle to the sheep.

I have very fond memories of growing up at Henblas and of a way of farming that has long since disappeared. I still remember the smell of oil from the threshing engine, and the commotion and camaraderie when neighbours gathered together for threshing, shearing, or even killing a pig.

I attended school in Llwyngwril before moving on to Tywyn Grammar School. For a time, I considered studying at Radbrook College in Shropshire, but ultimately I chose to stay at home and farm, working alongside my parents at Henblas.

During those years I was an active member of Bryncrug Young Farmers Club, where I enjoyed the opportunities to cook, compete in the eisteddfod, and take part in folk dancing. It was through the club’s social activities that I met Evan, a hill farmer from Buchesydd, Llanfachreth. We married in 1962 and continued farming at Henblas, where we raised our three children.

Through my marriage to Evan, I became involved with the Farmers’ Union of Wales. My father had been a staunch Conservative and a member of the NFU, whereas Evan and his father had been members of the Union since its early days - although neither had been particularly active.

My involvement in Young Farmers sparked a growing interest in community work, particularly through the Women’s Institute. In 1976 I was elected to the Meirionnydd Executive Committee, and in 1979 I became President of the Llwyngwril branch.

During this same period, our farm began to diversify into tourism. In 1974 we opened a bed and breakfast business at Henblas, and by 1981 had converted some farm buildings into self-catering accommodation. While tourism had already become an important source of income for many farmers in Pen Llŷn, there was very little tourism industry in the Llwyngwril area at the time.

Through this diversification, my interest in tourism grew. In 1985 I had the privilege of representing Meirionnydd on the Union’s Tourism and Diversification Committee, travelling regularly to Aberystwyth for meetings - long before the days of Zoom!

In 1987 I was appointed Chair of the committee and began representing the Union on Tourism Board committees as well. Then, in 1992, to my great surprise, I was elected Vice-President of the Union.

At that time there were very few women in leadership roles within the Union. I remember Mrs Davies from Montgomeryshire telling me on the day of the election, “You’ll gain the men’s respect if you are elected” - and that proved to be true.

I look back warmly on the friendships formed during those years with leading figures such as Alcwyn James and Myrddin Evans.

My time as Vice-President was both busy and challenging, coinciding with the BSE crisis. I remember travelling to London to attend a meeting of around 300 Welsh farmers - mostly men - to discuss the serious concerns facing the industry. The words of a Labour politician from the Valleys still echo in my mind: “Don’t let what happened to the coal industry happen to you.” Shortly afterwards, the hall erupted into a powerful rendition of “Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau.”

During that period, the relationship between the Union and the NFU was often portrayed as one of constant disagreement, although much of this perception was driven by the press. I once agreed to be interviewed for Y Sioe on S4C on the condition that I would not be asked about relations between the two unions - but it was the very first question when the camera started rolling!

In truth, there was far too much scaremongering. Across Europe it was - and still is - perfectly normal for more than one union to represent farmers’ interests.

After my time as Vice-President, I stepped back from national work but continued supporting the Union locally. Between 1998 and 2000 I served as President of Meirionnydd.

In 2014 I had the great honour of being appointed a Life Member of the Union.

Throughout my involvement with the Union, it became increasingly clear to me how unique Welsh farms are in terms of their size, character, and culture compared with those in England. For that reason, I have always believed it is vital that Wales has a Union dedicated to representing the specific interests of Welsh farmers - giving them a strong voice on their own terms.

The Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) and NFU Cymru used their joint fringe event at Plaid Cymru’s Spring Conference, held at the ICC Newport, to reinforce their shared manifesto priorities and urge the next Welsh Government to deliver a fair, forward-looking budget that properly supports Welsh agriculture and the rural communities it sustains.

Chaired by Llyr Gruffydd MS, Plaid Cymru’s Agriculture and Rural Affairs spokesperson, the event provided a platform for both unions to set out the sustained financial pressures facing the sector. They pointed to what they described as more than a decade of stagnation in the agricultural budget, warning that funding has failed to keep pace with rising costs and increasing regulatory and environmental expectations.

The unions argued that had overall funding kept pace with inflation over the past 13 years, the agricultural budget would now exceed £500 million - underscoring what they see as a substantial and growing gap between current allocations and the sector’s actual needs.

Speaking at the event, NFU Cymru President Abi Reader outlined the union’s key manifesto calls for a ring-fenced, multi-annual budget to support the sustainable growth of Welsh food and farming. She said:

“Welsh farmers must not be expected to do more for less. The next government must commit to providing a ring-fenced, multi-annual budget that matches our ambitions for the sustainable growth of the sector. 

This funding must underpin the financial resilience of our family farms and rural communities, while working in harmony with our environmental and climate obligations. We are calling for a budget in excess of £500 million per annum, with the majority of funding directed towards stability, productivity and efficiency gains on farm.

We also call on the next Welsh Government to challenge the UK Government to ensure that future uplifts to agricultural support funding fairly reflect Wales’ needs, rather than being constrained by the limitations of the Barnett formula.”

The calls were echoed during the session by the FUW’s Senedd and Parliamentary Officer, George Lewes, who stressed that the next Welsh Government must also strengthen budgetary support for the forthcoming Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS).

He argued that the transition to the new framework represents a significant structural shift for farm businesses and must be underpinned by adequate, long-term financial backing to ensure its success. Commenting, he said:

“If  we are to deliver on food security, climate and biodiversity goals, the scheme must be backed by a budget that matches those expectations.”

The fringe event also provided an opportunity for the unions to outline their wider shared ambitions for the sector ahead of the Senedd election. These included reducing on-farm bureaucracy, delivering a science-led and properly resourced strategy to eradicate bovine TB, and addressing ongoing concerns surrounding NVZ regulations and the unintended consequences they continue to create for family farms.

Concluding FUW President, Ian Rickman said:

“Both unions have emphasised that alongside fair and sustained funding, meaningful regulatory reform and practical, evidence-based policies are essential to safeguarding the viability and long-term sustainability of Welsh agriculture.

Ahead of the Senedd election, we look forward to continuing constructive engagement with all parties to ensure these priorities are delivered for the benefit of our farmers, rural communities, and the wider Welsh economy.”