As the closed period for spreading slurry on most Welsh farms kicks in (15 October), Huw Irranca-Davies, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, has announced plans to make short-term amendments to the Cross Compliance Verifiable Standards related to the Control of Agricultural Pollution ‘NVZ’ regulations.
Agricultural Policy
FUW milk committee chair, Brian Walters, opened his farmgate on the eve of the Welsh Dairy Show 2024, to highlight the importance of family run dairy farms’ in Wales .
Farming 500 acres in Carmarthen with wife Ann and two sons, Aled and Seimon; the family run a dairy herd of 220 cows with 200 followers on an autumn block calving system with the emphasis of producing quality milk off grass.
The Farmers’ Union of Wales has welcomed an announcement from the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, that the Bovine TB Eradication Programme Board members have now been appointed.
This news completes the revised governance structure as outlined in the Wales TB Eradication Programme Delivery Plan 2023-2028, following the formation of the Bovine TB Technical Advisory Group earlier this year.
EU delays new deforestation import regulations
On October 3, the European Commission said it would delay the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) implementation for a year until December 30th 2025 to support a smooth implementation from the start.
The WVSC has joined forces with the National Sheep Association (NSA) Wales to help sheep farmers identify and control iceberg diseases. Iceberg diseases are so named because it is likely that the vast majority of infected stock remain hidden and that those sheep with visible signs or symptoms represent just the tip of the problem.