South Wales farmers were today warned to be on the alert for three men from the Cardiff area with a pellet gun who claimed to be rabitting when the white transit van they were travelling in was spotted parked on two separate farms in the Neath area recently.

Police inspected the inside of the van - CV05 YPK - at Llwynllanc Farm, Crynant, and nothing was found but it was seen again five days later parked on a neighbouring farm.

"We are anxious to highlight this incident because there have been a lot of farm quad bikes stolen in that area recently," said Farmers' Union of Wales Glamorgan county executive officer Adrian Evans.

"The police are warning farmers that this could be just another scam by giving criminals a degree of legitimacy for being on farmers' land and having a good look around the buildings."

Police also revealed that a notable arrest was made in Aberdulais recently when two Merthyr men were apprehended for going equipped to steal. They were also using a transit van which contained empty diesel drums and siphoning equipment.

On the weekend the white transit van was seen for the second time two more criminal incidents occurred on farms near Neath. A stolen tractor was left crashed into a tree at Gellyfowy Fawr, Ynysmeudwy, Pontardawe, and a steel gate was stolen from Brynchwyth, Tonna.

"If farmers see the white van on their land or any other suspicious vehicles or intruders they should report the sighting to the police via the telephone number 101," Mr Evans added.

Meanwhile, an interesting project to help cut down on rural crime in Carmarthenshire was outlined at a meeting of the FUW's county executive meeting when Dyfed Powys Police crime reduction coordinator Brian Jones gave details of a pilot scheme being launched in the county.

The Online Watch Link (OWL) is a two-way initiative that would allow the police to pass relevant messages to the community and encourage the community to respond to the messages. The message could be of a crime prevention nature or to let the recipient know of a notable incident.

OWL is free and the message could be received via the home phone, a mobile phone, text message or, alternatively, via e-mail to the home or place of work.

For further details contact Brian Jones at Ammanford police station - Tel: 101/ext 27465, E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call FUW county executive officer Meinir Bartlett - Tel: 01267 237974.

A Welsh farmers' leader today called on the EC to release supplies from its intervention stock of cereals in a bid to combat soaring prices on the European market.

"There are growing fears that Welsh livestock farmers' incomes will be seriously undermined by increasing costs of animal feed due to the strong demand for grain on the world market which is driving up prices," said Farmers' Union of Wales president Gareth Vaughan.

"I am well aware that over the past month or so the price some Welsh farmers have paid for animal feed has increased by around £25 a tonne," said the Newtown sheep farmer.

The world market situation is currently dominated by the Russian export ban and Ukrainian moves to curtail grain exports following devastating droughts in both countries this summer.

"Although we have an increasing number of farmers growing cereal crops, traditional Welsh farming is still very much dominated by livestock rearing and the industry is at the mercy of ever-increasing production costs," said Mr Vaughan.

"Unfortunately, the EC is reported to have concluded that there is 'not an urgent need to release stocks from intervention'.

"But consideration of releasing such stocks, to keep grain prices in check, has continued to gather apace within the European feed industry and some member states, particularly net grain importer Spain.

"I believe the UK government should also be demanding similar action to safeguard the immediate prospects of Welsh agriculture," Mr Vaughan added.

Earlier this month the European Feed Manufacturers' Association, FEFAC, called on the Commission to release some of the five million tonnes of intervention cereals (mostly barley) which the EU currently holds.

"Placing such stocks back on the EU market is essential to help combat undue speculation and price volatility," the group said, warning that a degree of "artificial" price inflation is occurring in addition to the impact of poor harvests in key supplier countries.

The Farmers' Union of Wales welcomed Defra's proposed additional measures to help control bovine TB in cattle and pledged to consult its members on today's announcement by Agriculture Minister Jim Paice.

"With Wales's long border with England there are obvious implications for our members in those areas and we will be consulting with them in order to make a full response to the Defra consultation," said the union's bTB spokesman Brian Walters.

Defra is proposing issuing licences to farmers and landowners who wish to cull and/or vaccinate badgers at their own expense.

These licences would be subject to strict licence criteria to ensure badger control is done effectively, humanely and with high regard for animal welfare.

Defra says culling will only be allowed in areas where there is a high incidence of bovine TB in cattle and following the consultation they intend to publish a comprehensive and balanced bovine TB eradication programme early in 2011.

Meanwhile in Wales the Assembly's Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones remains committed to eradicating bovine TB through a "comprehensive programme" despite a legal set-back earlier this summer on a proposed badger cull in south-west Wales.

She intends to make a statement to AMs on the matter shortly.

Mr Walters added: With the cost to the taxpayer expected to reach more than £30m this year, bTB remains a major concern for the Welsh Assembly Government and one of the most serious economic issues facing the Welsh farming industry.

"And for those forced to watch their businesses being closed down and their animals removed for slaughter, the emotional cost is one that cannot be assigned a monetary value."

The Farmers' Union of Wales is inviting students living within the old Glamorgan county boundary - who have been accepted for a course in agriculture - to apply for a financial contribution towards books and equipment.

It is expected the union's Walter Rowlands Memorial Fund will be able to provide a total of £300 for successful students next year. This year it awarded £100 each to two Aberystwyth University students living in Glamorganshire.

Application forms and further details will be available at the union's mobile unit during this Saturday's (September 18) 51st all-Wales ploughing and hedging championships at Boverton Place Farm, near Llantwit Major.

Those wishing to apply are required to write a letter covering the following points - Your interests; Your activities; Details of the course for which you have been accepted; Your future ambitions; Why you think you should receive the award?

Letters should be sent by November 30 to Walter Rowlands Memorial Award, Farmers' Union of Wales, 58 Eastgate, Cowbridge CF71 7AB.

Mr Rowlands was the FUW's first county executive officer in Glamorganshire. He served the union from 1956 to 1985 when he passed away prematurely.