Farmers in Wales, who are frustrated with ongoing livestock attacks heard what proposed changes to the law could help police forces across England and Wales deal with such incidents more effectively and deter irresponsible dog owners from causing thousands of pounds worth of damage to the livestock industry. 

Speaking at a livestock worrying information webinar, jointly hosted by the Farmers’ Union of Wales and Wales YFC, North Wales Police Rural Crime Team Manager and Chair of the NPCC (National Police Chiefs Council) Livestock Offences group Rob Taylor explained The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 is weak and no longer serves its purpose. 

“The Act dates from the early 1950’s when both farming and policing were practiced differently. We can all agree that both occupations have evolved since then and the act does not reflect modern practices. For example in 2021, the Act doesn’t allow the police to obtain DNA, it doesn’t allow us to prosecute people whose dogs have attacked Alpacas and Llamas, it doesn’t allow us to prosecute if the attack happened on land that’s not agricultural land, we don’t have an option of banning orders. If a dog is subject of a control or destruction order at court, the 1953 Act does not have any powers written into it for the court to refer to and use. The court also has to borrow laws from  an old Victorian civil act namely the Dogs Act 1871, and this can cause confusion for both Police and court alike,” he said. 

The Farmers’ Union of Wales has expressed its bitter disappointment with Senedd Members who failed to support a motion to annul the Water Resources (Control of Agricultural Pollution) (Wales) Regulations 2021 after the motion was defeated by 30 votes to 27.

Responding to the news, FUW President Glyn Roberts said: “The decision to cut and paste outdated thirty year old EU legislation designed to tackle problems in intensively farmed areas, which has been shown to be ineffective and in many areas make matters worse, is itself a major concern for all those who understand the purpose of Welsh devolution.

"It is therefore an additional bitter blow to see a majority of Senedd members voting to support such a lazy, unimaginative and economically and environmentally damaging approach which makes a mockery of devolution and our desire to make Wales a better place.

“It  marks the Welsh Government hitting rock-bottom on so many levels - not least in terms of misleading the Senedd by breaking the repeated promise not to bring forward legislation until after the coronavirus pandemic, and making false claims about agricultural pollution getting worse in recent years when incidences have fallen.”

Farmers’ Union of Wales President Glyn Roberts has stressed the importance of the Wales YFC at the virtual Welsh Labour Party Spring Conference. Addressing a fringe meeting on Friday, February 26, with Jeremy Miles, the Union President stressed that whilst financial support for the Urdd was welcome, the Young Farmers clubs in Wales must not be left out. 

Speaking after the event, he said: “Whilst we welcome and appreciate the funding made available for the Urdd as part of the Welsh Government ‘recover and rebuild’ strategy, our young farmers clubs across Wales must not be left out. Indeed they deserve to be recognised for their efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic in keeping spirits high among their members through all the virtual events and meetings they have held.”

The FUW has previously voiced its disappointment at funding cuts made by councils in Wales to Young Farmer Clubs and Mr Roberts was clear that the Wales YFC must not be left behind as the country rebuilds itself after Covid.

The Farmers’ Union of Wales’ Milk and Dairy Produce committee says tenants, young farmers, new entrants and small and medium family farms will go out of business in huge numbers as a result of new water regulations, while industrial scale dairy farming will be boosted. The conclusion came during a virtual meeting of the union’s Milk and Dairy Produce Committee on Wednesday 24 February.

The Water Resources (Control of Agricultural Pollution) (Wales) Regulations 2021 - which are copied from decades old EU Nitrate Vulnerable Zone regulations - were placed before the Senedd on 27 January. Shadow environment and rural affairs minister Llyr Gruffydd has tabled a Senedd debate proposing that the regulations be annulled, to be held on March 3.

Speaking after the meeting, FUW Milk and Dairy Produce committee Chairman Dai Miles said: “These regulations will have massive financial and production impacts for dairy farms of all size and type, but the overwhelming view of the committee was that it will be tenants and the small and medium family dairy farms that will be most likely to go out of production as a result of these regulations.