[caption id="attachment_7674" align="alignleft" width="300"] (l-r) FUW President Glyn Roberts, Lesley Griffiths, FUW Montgomeryshire County Chairman Mark Williams and FUW County Executive Officer Emyr Wyn Davies[/caption]

Farmers in Montgomeryshire were delighted to welcome Welsh Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths, to officially open the new Farmers’ Union of Wales office in Newtown today.

The modern new premises are located at Unit 2, St. Giles Business Park, which is located on the Pool Road, Newtown.

FUW Montgomeryshire County Executive Officer Emyr Wyn Davies said: “I would like to thank the Cabinet Secretary for officially opening our office here in Newtown today. The opening of this new office emphasises the continued dedication of the FUW to its county structure, through which members can receive one-to-one services face to face.

“One of the core reasons for having this and our other ten county offices, is that it enables the FUW to understand different problems faced by farmers across Wales, to gather different perspectives, and react to concerns at an appropriate local and national level.”

Speaking at the opening, FUW President Glyn Roberts reminded the Cabinet Secretary that the issue of bovine TB needs solving urgently.

“One of the strongest messages to come from this county last year was related to bovine TB and the proposals to split Wales up into zones. If those proposals were introduced, there would be five regions with different sets of TB rules within 20 miles of this office.

“We fully understand what the Welsh Government is trying to achieve, and we welcome references made to taking action in the wildlife. We all support the goal, and also understand the logic of having regions. But only where actions are truly holistic.

“People are terrified that this region of Wales will be torn apart, and that we will continue to see a situation where blunt instruments are applied to our cattle, while the bar set for evidence required to take action against wildlife will be beyond reach where it needed,” said Mr Roberts.

[caption id="attachment_6117" align="alignleft" width="300"] FUW Managing Director Alan Davies[/caption]

News that Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom rejected an invitation to appear before Welsh Assembly Members and that Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) George Eustice MP has cancelled his evidence session with the Welsh Assembly environment committee's Brexit inquiry at two days' notice, has been described as disappointing news by the Farmers’ Union of Wales.

FUW Managing Director Alan Davies said: “It is really disappointing news that these vital discussions have, at best, been postponed. We recently had meetings with Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom, Welsh Secretary of State Alun Cairns and Welsh Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths to discuss the future of agriculture in a post-Brexit world.

“The meetings, one of which was instigated by the Wales Office, were very positive and Andrea Leadsom told us that devolution would be “utterly respected” and that is essential.

“There are some complex political principles at stake here, which 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 said that there will be no landgrab of powers from devolved nations. 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.

“We very much hope that this is a postponed opportunity, rather than a failure to start discussions.”

[caption id="attachment_6094" align="alignleft" width="300"] Let us take the stress out of form filling for you![/caption]

It’s that time of year again when we start thinking about SAF forms. With just a few weeks to go until the application window opens, we want to remind you that we are here to help. So let us take the stress of filling the form away from you and give us a call to book your appointment.

The FUW provides this free service exclusively to all members, which has proved invaluable for thousands of members over the years - saving them time and a paperwork-headache. In fact, our recent membership survey revealed that it’s the most valued service we provide you with!

[caption id="attachment_6117" align="alignright" width="300"] "Our staff are not only well trained but very well practiced in dealing with the complex application process"[/caption]

FUW Managing Director Alan Davies said: “Our staff are not only well trained but very well practiced in dealing with the complex application process.The SAF completion process is probably the single most important form completion exercise being carried out by Welsh farmers since 2004, and the financial repercussions of errors on the forms are severe.”

Since the Welsh Government mandated that all applications should be done online, the FUW is  focused on providing the best possible service to its members and we would love to hear from you in the county office.

“I encourage our members and first time form fillers to contact their local office as soon as possible to book an appointment if they need help in filling out the form. Appointments can be made from the start of March as soon as the application process is open,” added Alan Davies.

Farmers in Wales need to be aware that there have been some changes to the 2017 Cross-Compliance rules. The vast majority of Cross-Compliance rules continue to apply as notified in 2016, but there have been some changes to the following Factsheets, which have been updated by Welsh Government:

• GAEC 3: Water- Groundwater
• GAEC 6: Soil and Organic Matter – Maintenance
• GAEC 7: Maintenance of Landscape Features
• SMR 2: Wild Birds
• SMR 8: Sheep and goat identification
• SMR 10: Restrictions on the use of Plant Protection Products
• SMR 11: Welfare Standards for the Protection of Calves
• SMR 12: Welfare Standards for the Protection of Pigs
• SMR 13: Welfare Standards for the Protection of Animals Kept for Farming Purposes.

FUW Pembrokeshire County Executive Officer Rebecca Voyle said:

“The majority of the revised factsheets have had fairly minor, but important, word changes to them to help clarify the rules. However SMR 11 and SMR 12 have undergone more significant changes and additional requirements have been added.

“It is important that farmers familiarise themselves with these changes as a breach of the rules could lead to penalties against their 2017 BPS payment.”

So what does it mean for cattle farmers? The new main requirement states that:

• calves must receive at least two liquid feeds per day to gain sufficient nutrition and only when solid feed can be properly digested should it be considered a ‘feed’.

In addition, roughage should be provided from two weeks of age.

The new additions to good practice requirements state that:

• Milk from cows tested and found to be bTB reactors, or inconclusive, should not be fed to calves and may only be fed to animals on the same farm after suitable heat treatment.
• If calves are reared in a system where milk is provided by artificial means, their feed intake should be closely monitored and sick or injured calves must be isolated in suitable accommodation, where appropriate, with dry comfortable bedding.

Pig farmers will have to take note of the rule changes under SMR 12, which apply to all pig keepers, in addition to the requirements for the welfare of all farmed animals (SMR 13).

The new addition to the main requirements now says that:

• where a farrowing crate system is used, piglets must be provided with a source of heat and a solid, dry and comfortable lying area away from the sow where all of them can rest at the same time.
• A part of the floor area where the piglets are kept and which is large enough to allow the animals to rest together at the same time must be solid or covered with a mat, or be littered with straw or other suitable material.

Completely new to the SMR 12 is the Good Practice section, which asks farmers to ensure that:

• tail-docking is not carried out routinely but only where there is evidence that injury to sows’ teats or to other pigs’ ears or tails have occurred.
• Before carrying out tail-docking other measures should be taken to prevent tail-biting and other vices, taking into account environment and stocking densities.
• For that reason, inadequate environmental conditions or management systems are to be changed and it is recommended that best practice is aimed at reducing the need for tail-docking and optimise solutions for providing enrichment materials.

Copies of the revised Cross-Compliance factsheets will not be sent to BPS claimants by RPW but can be accessed in full via the Welsh Government website.