The Welsh Government and Defra have commissioned a social research project to understand farmer attitudes to cattle and badger TB vaccination in Wales and England. The project is being undertaken by the Countryside and Community Research Institute (CCRI) and Cardiff University.

They are holding a number of workshops throughout Wales and England to gather the views and feedback from farmers. In Wales, workshops have been arranged on these dates:

• 23rd March - Pembrokeshire (Nant y Ffin Hotel, Llandissilio, Clynderwen) 12-2pm
• 31st March - Denbigh (Ruthin Livestock Market, Parc Glasdir, Ruthin) 12-2pm

£20 will be donated to the Farming Community Network’s new bTB hotline for each farmer attending (Participants can claim the money towards travel expenses, if preferable).

Places are limited - to register please contact Holly Shearman (TB Advisory Service) on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 07889 806597, or Gareth Enticott (Cardiff University) on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

In the 2020 budget, the UK government announced that it was removing the entitlement to use rebated red diesel from most sectors from 1st April 2022. Not included are the  agriculture, horticulture, forestry, fish farming, and rail sectors and its use for non-commercial heating.

This means that farmers, and contractors hired to perform an agricultural operation on the land, will continue to be able to use rebated fuel in agricultural vehicles and machines used for accepted purposes in the agriculture sector. 

Accepted purposes in the agriculture sector include the breeding or rearing of any animal kept for the production of food, wool, skin or fur, growing or harvesting of crops, fodder as fuel, growing or harvesting of flowering or ornamental plants, growing or harvesting of timber or other forestry products and the upkeep of agricultural land under environmental management schemes.

The current window of the Woodland Creation Planning Scheme opened on 28th February 2022. The scheme offers grants of between £1000 and £5000 to develop plans for new woodland creation.

After a plan is successfully verified by NRW it will be eligible for Welsh Government funding for tree planting. (There is currently an available budget of £500,000 for claims made by 31st March 2023)

More information here: https://gov.wales/woodland-creation-plan-scheme

The free examination of skin scrape samples from sheep showing suspect clinical signs of sheep scab is available until 31st March 2022.

The scheme is supported by the Welsh Government and testing is being undertaken at APHA Carmarthen VIC. The skin scrape samples should be posted to Carmarthen VIC via the farmers veterinary surgeon.

To qualify for the testing, a short epidemiological questionnaire must be submitted alongside the samples. Veterinary surgeons should complete this questionnaire with the farmers when taking the samples.

 Samples can be submitted either with a Small Ruminant Submission form found on the Vet Gateway or through the Animal Disease Testing Service.