The Farmers' Union of Wales has welcomed a restricted derogation allowing livestock burial as a step towards common sense following its request for a full derogation on March 28.
But the union slammed the EU for refusing to allow a full derogation for those affected and called for further action to help farmers hit by Arctic weather conditions.
EU Regulation 1069/2009 requires farmers to pay collectors to remove and dispose of fallen stock - a rule criticised by the FUW from the outset on the grounds that on-farm burial has been carried out safely and without adverse effects for thousands of years.
Following severe animal losses due to the weather, the FUW wrote to natural resources and food minister Alun Davies highlighting the need for an exemption to the rule and yesterday (Tuesday) the Welsh Government conceded to a limited derogation.
FUW president Emyr Jones, whose farm is among thousands severely affected by the extreme weather, said:
“We welcome this concession but have highlighted the fact that it does not cover all those who have been worst affected by the severe weather and does not go far enough to take into account the exceptional circumstances facing farmers in Wales.
“Many have lost hundreds of animals and tens of thousands of pounds. Requiring them to pay further thousands to have dead animals removed because they cannot meet very strict guidelines will be emotionally and financially devastating for many.
“We have urged the Welsh Government to take this into account and to apply the derogation for all areas of Wales which are affected.”
Under the derogation farmers in Conwy, Denbighshire, Wrexham, Gwynedd, Flintshire, Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire will temporarily be able to bury sheep, lambs and calves but will be required to provide evidence that collectors were unable to access the farm.
In relation to the burial ban, Mr Jones said:
“The FUW is fully supportive of EC membership - without EC membership our farming industry would be economically unviable and we know from experience that Brussels certainly does not have a monopoly on ridiculous regulations.
“But the burial ban is a rule which brings the EU into disrepute and we will once again be writing to the European Commission to highlight our concerns regarding the burial ban.
"Those in the EC responsible for this rule should hang their heads in shame over its impact across the UK.”
Mr Jones also highlighted the impact of the abolition of upland support after more than 60 years.
“The abolition of Less Favoured Area payments after more than 60 years could not have come at a worse time and recent events highlight their necessity.
"I fully support Alun Davies’ ambition that farmers should be able to survive without any kind of support but I have yet to meet anybody with a coherent plan as to how we would continue to feed people while also balancing the books without EU payments.
“Replacing 80% of farm incomes with savings and increases in market returns is not a straightforward task.
"Reducing costs or increasing receipts per unit by a few pennies is one thing, and we should all strive to run our businesses as efficiently as possible, but to replace £260 million or so of income across Wales will require decisive political action in support of market-derived farm incomes by both Welsh and EU authorities.”
Mr Jones said that until such a panacea was found the FUW would continue to highlight the need for a genuine Common Agricultural Policy and for a Less Favoured Area scheme to be implemented in Wales, as is the case in the rest of the EU.
