The announcement by the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs that a new Avian Influenza Prevention Zone will be in place from midnight on the 28th of February until the 30th of April this year means that bird keepers in Wales could be faced with important decisions regarding how and when to house their flocks.

One issue of great concern to keepers is the potential loss of their free range status and the FUW therefore welcomes the decision to allow keepers to maintain their free-range status within the new all-Wales Prevention Zone, if certain additional risk mitigation measures are adhered to.  This allows the keeper to select the disease prevention programme best suited to their business needs.

We would remind keepers of poultry to remain vigilant for any signs of this significant disease.  Avian Influenza is a notifiable disease, and keepers should report any suspicion of disease to the Animal and Plant Health Agency. In addition, all poultry keepers, irrespective of the size of the flock, can pass their details to the Poultry Register in order to receive updates on the disease.

The current Prevention Zone requires all keepers of poultry and other captive birds to:

• keep their birds indoors
• or take all appropriate steps to keep them separate from wild birds, and to enhance biosecurity.

This follows a number of confirmed cases of avian flu - H5N8 strain - across the UK, including in a backyard flock of chickens and ducks near Pontyberem, Carmarthenshire.

How to spot AI
There are two types of AI – high pathogenic and low pathogenic. The one to look out for is H5N8 strain, which is high pathogenic.

High-pathogenic AI (HPAI)
HPAI is the more serious type. It is often fatal in birds. The main clinical signs are:

• Swollen head
• Blue discolouration of neck and throat
• Loss of appetite
• Respiratory distress such as gaping beak, coughing, sneezing, gurgling, rattling
• Diarrhoea
• Fewer eggs laid
• Increased mortality

Clinical signs can vary between species and some may show minimal clinical signs (ducks and geese).

More information on what this means for you can be found here

The Farmers’ Union of Wales has repeated its concerns about the negative impact planned business rates increases will have on the agricultural sector in Wales and on the wider rural economy of Wales.

As a result of re-valuations based on 2015 prices, many businesses in Wales will face a change in the rates they pay after April. This will impact on many farmers who have diversified in recent years, but what is becoming clearer is the potential knock-on effect this will have on farmers who sell their livestock at markets in Wales.

“We’ve heard reports from livestock markets that their rates are about to rise by nearly 100% and when you try and work out how they will pay that bill it is quite clear. The money will come from increased commission in the marts which will therefore hit all farmers,” said Brian Thomas, Deputy President of the FUW.

“We appreciate that the Welsh Government has made funding available, which will be distributed by local authorities, in addition to the Welsh Government's £10m transitional relief scheme and its Small Business Rates Relief Scheme worth £100m.

“However, there’s no way we can realistically expect somewhere like a livestock market to absorb such costs. They have no other clear source of income than commission payments, so this punitive tax will impact every farmer that sells stock through those markets,” Mr Thomas added.

The FUW will continue to fight to ensure that tax regimes do not hit rural Wales more widely than is strictly necessary.

The uniqueness of Welsh agriculture and the importance of involving the devolved administrations in planning the future of agriculture have today been reiterated by the Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW), following a speech made by DEFRA’s Andrea Leadsom.

Whilst the FUW welcomed some of the points made by the Environment Secretary, such as the acknowledgement that the industry will need financial support after having made an exit from the European Union and tariff-free access to the European markets, it was disappointing to note the lack of recognition for devolved administrations and the crucial role they need to play in devising a UK wide framework for agriculture.

The Union has previously welcomed the recognition of the role devolved administrations should play in planning for our departure from the European Union, when Prime Minister Theresa May outlined her 12 point Brexit plan, and her recognition that Wales is different to the rest of the UK.

FUW Managing Director Alan Davies said: “Andrea Leadsom stated that she will be meeting with each of the Ministers from the devolved administrations in Edinburgh on Thursday, February 23, but we need those in Westminster to fully understand that the complex political principles at stake here, can only be resolved through cooperation and collaboration between all 4 nations of the United Kingdom. And more importantly, until those principles are resolved we cannot be clear as to who will have primacy of decision making in the long term.

“The Prime Minister has previously said that there will be no landgrab of powers from devolved nations and that means that the Welsh Government will be responsible for all agriculture policy, a position we welcome. But we also recognise the need to create and work within a UK Framework that enables and constrains the UK administrations in a way that creates a healthy yet stable home market in the UK.”

The FUW has since the referendum result last year stressed that the UK post-Brexit needs to put a UK agricultural framework in place which prevents unfair competition between devolved regions and secures and protects adequate long term funding for agriculture, while also respecting devolved powers over agriculture.

“We ask what sort of industry we want to be and what sort of country we want to be and the answer is really quite obvious - agriculture in the UK and in Wales has to be profitable and sustainable and the important role family farms play in making the wheels of the rural economy go round have to be recognised and we must recognise that Wales is not the same as England in terms of need, product and social importance of agriculture.

“The FUW is in agreement that we can have a prosperous future for the sector once we leave the EU and that there are plenty of opportunities to be explored but a lot of it depends on the willingness of our politicians in Westminster to recognise how different farming across the devolved nations is and that they have very different requirements,” added Alan Davies.

[caption id="attachment_7720" align="alignleft" width="185"] Steve Smith[/caption]

Well known in farming circles throughout Wales and the UK, Steve Smith, is a former Welsh Sheep Farmer of the Year and has won many accolades for his prize winning Penparc Texel flock.

He achieved an ambition in 2010 by winning the supreme pairs at the Welsh Winter Fair and is well versed in the challenges and opportunities being a first generation farmer can bring, but is realistic about the priorities that have to be made to achieve your dream.

Steve has built up his farming enterprise to approx 1200 acres, and the business is spread over two holdings in Montgomeryshire and Meirionnydd, where a fully stratified sheep system is in operation.

He recognising the great maternal instincts and longevity of the Welsh hill flock and its influence in building a sound genetic maternal base on which the finished lamb enterprise is based upon. The pedigree Pen Parc Longhorn Herd also runs alongside, and he focuses on marketing this to the high quality market.

The holdings are part of the the Welsh Government Glastir Suite of Agri Environment schemes and the aim of the family has always been to match sustainable land management with top quality breeding stock and these two founding principles have been behind the success of the business.

Steve has always had a great appreciation for nature and the need to have sustainability at its core. He said: “I have always respected nature and its environment before it became fashionable.”

In the late 90's the family further diversified into holiday cottages and more recently renewable energy.

For the last 9 years Steve has been the Montgomeryshire British Wool Marketing Board (BWMB) representative and is now looking to become the Welsh Northern Region elected member, to represent the interests of Welsh farmers and further promote the work of Welsh farmers and the BWMB.

He has a global outlook and an understanding of how the markets work and what is needed to make a success of the industry, which is now more important than ever given the UK’s decision to leave the European Union.

“Every asset on the farm and that includes wool will need to meet consumer demands as efficiently as possible. It is easy to forget why co-operatives were originally set up. They were set up at times of adversity to make the farming voice stronger, our forefathers were some of the greatest entrepreneurs of their time. The last few decades have seen farmers become more isolated through the need for efficiencies and increased mechanisation,” he said.

Going forward with global forces and free trading the time may come again when farmers have to strengthen their voice to be heard. The British Wool Board is effectively the largest producer co-operative in Britain, with over 40,000 registered sheep farmers and always has operated on a global market making it very well placed to go forward.

Steve is well aware that there are further efficiencies to be made, saying:  “I want to get more of the price paid for wool back to the producers because that has to be ultimate aim.

“The BWMB has recently appointed Joe Farrell to take over has the new CEO. Mr farrell is a former barrister with excellent management skills and  he recognises the need to support training programmes and provide value for money for our farmers. To some extent this could be done by reducing administration and marketing and promotion costs. However, this can only be achieved if every wool producer supports the BWMB. If we lose this, fragmentation in our industry does not serve any master well.”

“It is very important that everyone who produces wool understands how the process works and sees the amount of investment that goes into scouring plants in this country. Keeping the processing capacity in the UK is vital to ensuring there is a reasonably competitive base in our markets.

“The same could be said for the red meat and the dairy industries ‘added value’ must be core to our activities going forward. There are exciting times ahead and yes, I know the price of wool has slightly dipped at present but it’s a green product that fits into the expectations of customers in the present day,” said Steve.

The world is changing and farmers have an uncertain future in terms of the political arena, Steve recognises, saying: “Never before have so many demands been made upon our farmers. Retaining a critical mass of sheep numbers will be one of the next challenges as farm support evolves, but that does not mean we cannot plan for our future, new research and development.

“A pull on natural resources and reductions required in the use of fossil fuels means that consumers will have to look to longer term choices when they purchase. Wool is a prime example of that, with exciting new designers on board I am confident that the term ‘Green Growth’ will attract buyers for Welsh wool the UK can have a bright future.”

Speaking about why Steve Smith is worth supporting in his ambition to be elected as the Northern Region Member, FUW Montgomeryshire County Executive Officer Emyr Wyn Davies said: “Steve has all the enthusiasm and over all knows how the BWMB works, having been the Montgomeryshire representative for over 9 years. I would encourage anyone who has received a voting paper to support Steve in his endeavour to help further the work of the BWMB.”