The Farmers’ Union of Wales has written to the Welsh Economy Minister, Ken Skates, in support of the British Veterinary Association’s (BVA) call for action to ensure that the Covid-19 pandemic does not lead to a future reduction in veterinary capacity.
The current pandemic does not alter the importance of ensuring that staffing levels within veterinary practices are such that 24/7 emergency care for livestock is provided in order to safeguard animal health and welfare. This may require staff to be brought back from furlough and it is essential that the furlough scheme is flexible enough to cope with this type of arrangement in the immediate and long term.
The FUW has also called for support in the form of Business Rate Relief to minimise the risk of practices becoming financially unsustainable during the pandemic, and the potential reductions in capacity for essential services such as TB testing.
Farmers across Wales work collaboratively with their farm vet to rear livestock to high standards of animal health and welfare and take this responsibility extremely seriously. The farm vet plays a vital role in maintaining and improving livestock health and it is therefore important that the financial consequences of this pandemic do not close veterinary practices, reduce veterinary capacity or lessen our ability to look after livestock in the future. The closing of veterinary practices would have massive implications for both farmers and livestock health.
When the impact of this pandemic has lessened, and as the UK prepares future trade deals post-Brexit, it is essential to ensure that those roles which protect our status as producers of high quality, safe food are protected.
Given the above and the FUW’s priority in supporting the future of farming in Wales, the Union has written to the Business Secretary to support the BVA’s call for remedial action to ensure that veterinary capacity is maintained following the pandemic.