The Farming Community Network (FCN) are looking for farmers to complete a survey to help them better understand the impact of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) on farmers’ health and wellbeing.

The study is looking to explore the emotional, financial and physical impacts of bTB and the long term effects these have had on the farmer, family and farm business.

The study also hopes to hear about farmers’ experiences of government policies to control and eradicate bTB.

Expression of interest window dates June 2023

The Farmers’ Union of Wales has welcomed the announcement by Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd, Lesley Griffiths, that the implementation of the 170kg nitrogen per hectare whole farm limit will be further extended from 30 April to 31 October 2023.

Regulation 4 of the Water Resources (Control of Agricultural Pollution) (Wales) Regulations 2021, which sets an annual whole farm nitrogen limit from organic manure of 170kg per hectare, was initially delayed from 1 January 2023 to allow the Welsh Government time to consult on proposals for a licensing scheme to increase that limit.

In the FUW response, Welsh Government was urged to use this opportunity to introduce an effective licensing scheme as a permanent part of the regulations on the basis that it is designed correctly to allow for a significant number of farms to be eligible and for it to be flexible to respond to challenges in the long term.

It is therefore welcome to see that the whole farm nitrogen limit will be delayed by a further six months to allow more time for the Welsh Government to seriously consider the responses and provide sufficient time for farmers to prepare once the outcome is announced.

41,000 farmers in the Republic of Ireland have applied for a grant to subsidise the cost of lime under the Irish Government’s new National Liming Programme.

The programme was introduced by the Republic’s Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine to incentivise the use of lime, which is a natural soil conditioner. Lime corrects soil acidity by neutralising the acids that are present in the soil, increasing nitrogen (N) uptake and soil microbial activity as well as unlocking soil phosphorous (P) and potassium (K).  

Trials have also indicated that increasing soil pH to optimum levels leads to a significant reduction in Nitrous Oxide (N2O) emissions while simultaneously increasing grass and other crop yields.

The Irish subsidy of €16/tonne (£14/tonne) of lime for a minimum of 10 tonnes of ground limestone and a maximum of 200 tonnes is aimed at reducing Irish chemical fertiliser usage and improving the environmental and economic sustainability of the Irish sector.