The decision that all dogs in Wales will be microchipped by March 2015, following a public consultation last year by the Welsh Government, was given a lukewarm welcome by the Farmers’ Union of Wales today.

In a previous consultation response the FUW stressed that most responsible owners will voluntarily microchip their dogs as a matter of course as the benefits microchipping provides in terms of traceability and identification are primarily to their advantage.

“Under the Control of Dogs Order 1992, dogs are already required to be identifiable in public by wearing a collar and tag with the owner’s name and address. Irresponsible dog owners are as likely not to use a microchip as they would a collar, therefore the wider benefits of responsible dog ownership promoted by the Welsh Government may not materialise,” said FUW deputy director of policy Rhian Nowell-Phillips.

“The agricultural industry has suffered increasing problems associated with sheep worrying on farmland so we are extremely interested in any measures which would help mitigate these problems,” added Ms Nowell-Phillips.

“Unfortunately, the union does not believe that compulsory microchipping will have any real impact on irresponsible dog owners who are unlikely to comply and so the decision whether or not to microchip should remain voluntary.

“Less responsible dog owners will inevitably find their way around any legislation and it is for this reason the FUW believes that the promotion of good practice and highlighting the benefits of microchipping should be a priority over legislation.”

Of the estimated 450,000 dogs in Wales, it is estimated that some 58 per cent are already microchipped. This means that there are approximately 190,000 dogs that would need to be microchipped prior to March 2015.

Welsh-speaking university students from rural areas of Wales must be given every opportunity to return to jobs and homes in their own communities to help preserve the language, the Farmers' Union of Wales bilingual and publicity committee was told recently.

Guest speaker, Ceredigion County Council leader Ellen ap Gwynn, stressed that every effort must be made to motivate young people to speak Welsh and give them plenty of opportunity to use the language in their workplace.

"But older members of staff working for any organisation should also be motivated and encouraged to either learn the language or further improve their Welsh language skills," she said.

Cllr ap Gwynn highlighted the importance of organisations that operate in Welsh, and serve the community through the medium of Welsh, in ensuring that young Welsh speakers were employed in their local areas.

"In Ceredigion the activities of young farmers' clubs and the Urdd are so much fun for young Welsh speakers who go to university and then return home because they still feel part of the community and still belong to the social network.

"We must acknowledge the fact that there are changing language patterns out there but, even though the number of three to 15-year-old children has fallen within the county of Ceredigion by 1,000, the percentage of those speaking Welsh has increased from 78 per cent to 82 per cent."

Following Cllr ap Gwynn’s presentation a lively discussion followed on how farmers could integrate more Welsh into their own businesses, what services were available to help them achieve this and the policies schools should adopt to keep the language thriving.

During the meeting delegates re-elected the committee chairman, Carmarthenshire county councillor Mansel Charles, and vice chairman, Betws y Coed farmer Eryl Hughes.

The Farmers' Union of Wales has welcomed an extension granted to farmers by the Welsh Government to establish their Glastir and Tir Gofal cereal crops in recognition of the adverse weather across Wales.

“Allowing farmers an additional fortnight to sow their Glastir and Tir Gofal cereal crops is a helpful move for those who have been adversely affected not only by the severe weather we have seen over the past few weeks but also those who have had problems with extremely saturated ground due to the high rainfall over the past twelve months,” said FUW land use and parliamentary committee chairman Gavin Williams.

“Farmers are now able to request a derogation to establish the cereal crop by the end of May, two weeks later than the previous establishment date of May 15, which will allow them to better manage their pasture before closing off their arable fields,” added Mr Williams.

Those seeking additional time to establish their cereal crops this year must contact their local Divisional Office before May 15 to request the derogation.  Following the crop being sown, the Divisional Office needs to receive written confirmation of the sowing date, crop type, area and field number.

“The FUW has stressed the importance of flexibility in dealing with those farmers who may be experiencing difficulties in meeting their scheme obligations this year and would encourage farmers to talk to their project officers or Divisional Offices as soon as possible if they believe they may have problems,” added Mr Williams.

VALE of Glamorgan farmer Richard Walker was elected as the new county chairman of the Glamorganshire branch of the Farmers’ Union of Wales during its recent annual general meeting.

Mr Walker, 39, of Flaxland Farm, Llancarfan, runs the lowland family farm consisting of a mixed herd of Charolais cross Texel sheep and finishing cattle as well as being heavily involved with arable contracting in the area.

He has been Glamorgan YFC county chairman and is currently Maendy YFC vice president.

“I feel privileged to be taking over the reins from our highly respected outgoing chairman Glyn Jones and I am looking forward to all the challenges and opportunities that the role will bring over the next year,” said Mr Walker.

[caption id="attachment_2363" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] INCOMING: Glyn Jones (right) congratulates Richard Walker on his election[/caption]