The shocking and devastating images circulating once again of sheep which have been savagely attacked by dogs and died as a result come as a timely warning to those wishing to enjoy the countryside this Easter break, says the FUW.
With the weather improving and the Easter holidays around the corner many people are going to visit the countryside to enjoy the fresh air and beautiful scenery in Wales, but with lambing in full swing the Farmers’ Union of Wales is asking dog walkers to take extra care to reduce the risks to heavily pregnant ewes and newly born lambs.
“There are never ending incidents of sheep being attacked across the country and this is why we are calling on the support of the public to help minimise incidents of attacks on livestock by dogs once again.
“The weather is warming up and many people want to visit the countryside, so we are appealing to dog owners to follow the Countryside Code to keep their dogs under close control, preferably on a lead when using public paths where livestock are present,” said FUW President Glyn Roberts.
It all began inside a 3.5 litre Riley as it sped out of London along the A40, when the driver and his passenger were encapsulated in the gloom of an autumn evening back in 1954.
Following yet another fruitless meeting in London and the realisation that there was nobody standing up for the farmers of Wales, two men - Ivor T. Davies of Brynmafon, Llanfihangel-ar-Arth (Chairman of the NFU’s County Executive Committee in Carmarthen) and J.B. Evans (the NFU County secretary in Carmarthen) - made a stance that would change the future of farmers in Wales forever.
And in December 1955 the Farmers’ Union of Wales was born. Although many prophesied that the new Union would be short-lived, it soon played an influential role in Welsh agriculture and still does today.
An application of formal recognition was made by the FUW on 7 February 1978. It was granted less than two months later on 23 March 1978.
The FUW has given a cautious welcome to an announcement on the future of agriculture and land management by Welsh Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths - but warned that plans need to be developed cautiously if devastation for rural communities is to be avoided.
The Welsh Government’s announcement made on Wednesday (March 21) acknowledges the challenges faced in light of the significant and swift changes facing Wales as a result of Brexit, and highlights five core principles it believes should underpin the future of Welsh agriculture and land management.
Responding to the announcement, FUW President Glyn Roberts said: “We welcome the Cabinet Secretary’s acknowledgement that ‘farming is a vital part of the rural economy. It is the social anchor of communities and land managers are the custodians of the land that underpins our natural environment’
“It’s also welcome to once again hear the Cabinet Secretary supporting our view that there must be a well-planned multi-year transition to whatever system is ultimately agreed upon.
Farmers are being reminded of the new rules on Quarantine Units (QUs), which replaced Isolation Facilities, ahead of the show season.
“Those wishing to regularly show animals during the show season without falling foul of the six day standstill rule now have no choice but to set up an approved Quarantine Unit,” said FUW Deputy President Brian Thomas.
While the FUW has long been a supporter of changes which would reduce the pressures caused by the six-day standstill rule during busy trading periods as well as the show season, it was one of many industry bodies which highlighted the obstacles represented by high establishment costs and the strictness of the new rules, and that the replacement of isolation facilities could cause major problems for Welsh shows.
“The principle of isolating animals when they come on to a farm is one that should be followed wherever possible, and we had the opportunity of making it second nature by introducing a workable new system.
“Unfortunately, the cost and impractical nature of the rules and the movement reporting requirements represent a major obstacle to achieving this, and at the last count less than 100 farms have signed up for the new system.”
The Farmers’ Union of Wales has launched its ‘Fair Farm Funding’ campaign to highlight the urgent need for the UK Government to clarify funding for the sector in Wales, at its Grand Council meeting in Aberystwyth.
The campaign aims to secure fair funding for farmers in Wales after leaving the EU, ensuring that the industry does not receive less than it did before the UK left the European Union. It also insists that funding for farming should not be subject to the Barnett Formula.
Launching the campaign at the Union’s Grand Council, Managing Director Alan Davies said: “Historically the funding to support farming in Wales has come from the Common Agricultural Policy, but once the UK leaves the EU in March next year that link will be broken.
“Any funding to support agriculture will have to come from the UK Treasury. We’ve already heard that the Government will commit the same amount of funding to agriculture for the rest of this parliament. But there are complexities around how that funding might be allocated.