Farming
Crash out Brexit would hit livestock farming
SPEAKING at the inaugural NFU Cymru Red Meat Summit on Tuesday, February 5, the Union’s Livestock Board Chairman, Wyn Evans, warned farmers that the continued threat of the UK crashing out of the EU without a deal leaves the sector in a ‘perilous position’ ahead of Brexit.
Addressing attendees at the ‘Welsh Red Meat Sector in a Global Marketplace’ event at the Royal Welsh Showground, Mr Evans stressed that farmers are being ‘left in the dark’ over the nature of the UK’s future trading relationship with the European Union.
The NFU Cymru Red Meat Summit saw experts from the red meat supply chain, Welsh farming industry and the processing, marketing, retail and food service sectors analysing the opportunities that exist to promote Welsh produce to the wider world, as well as the potential challenges posed by Brexit.
Mr Evans said: “In Wales, we have a fantastic red meat industry with some of the most committed, dedicated and professional farmers in the world producing safe, quality affordable food for the consumer at home and abroad. But we cannot ignore the perilous position the ongoing political uncertainty leaves us in just a few short weeks away from our scheduled departure from the EU.
“In these next few weeks my family, like many thousands of others across Wales, will be preparing for and entering the busiest time in our farming calendar, with the arrival of lambs whose eventual sale would usually make up a sizeable part of our farm income. But as we spend our days and nights in the lambing shed and out in the fields, we do this in the dark not knowing what markets will be open for these lambs later this year.
“We are very late on in the Article 50 process. Last week, a majority of MPs voted to send the Prime Minister back to Brussels to attempt to renegotiate her Brexit deal and seek binding changes. The language coming out of Europe has made it pretty clear that they are not prepared to renegotiate what was agreed at the end of last year and I am concerned that we will end up wasting more time at what is an absolutely critical stage.
“My real fear is that we will see the clock run down and we will depart the EU without having secured a trade deal. For NFU Cymru a ‘No deal’ scenario is completely unacceptable. Under such a scenario we would see very significant WTO tariff rates applied to our exports, immediately pricing us out of our nearest and most valuable export market. In addition, as a third country, we would face significant regulatory barriers when exporting to the EU, further eroding our competitive position.
“These concerns are coupled with Government continuing to veer away from any form of commitment to protect our high standards within the UK Agriculture Bill. Welsh farmers hold very real fears that those in Westminster whose desire is to secure a quick trade deal will do so at the expense of Welsh agriculture by opening our markets to produce that falls well short of the high welfare, food safety and environmental standards exercised here in Wales.
“Our industry produces over 65,000 tons of sheep meat and around 48,000 tons of beef, much of which commands PGI status, and delivers an annual turnover of £1.3 billion. A scenario that puts the future of this great and iconic Welsh industry in jeopardy must not be realised.
“NFU Cymru calls on all our politicians to come together for the good of the country and secure continued, uninterrupted free and frictionless access to our closest and largest export market. Failure to deliver this will have devastating consequences for the fabric and beating heart of rural Wales.”
WALES will no longer see the golden eagle fly through the skies after the last of its kind was found dead by a walker in Abergwesyn Valley, near Llanwrtyd Wells.
The Golden Eagle was native to Wales, Europe and North America and due to human persecution had begun to die out, the last breeding pair being found in Snowdonia in 1850. It is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere, but unfortunately Wales will not see the bird in action for a very long time.
The female bird of prey was being watched and followed by the presenter of Spring Watch, Iolo Williams, and will appear in the last episode of the latest show ‘Iolo: The Last Wilderness of Wales.’
The company behind the television show which captures the highlights of Welsh wildlife, Aden Productions, commented on the extinction of the Golden Eagle. Taking to twitter, a statement read:
“Our whole crew was shocked and saddened to hear about the demise of our beloved Cambrians golden eagle, the last golden eagle to fly wild in Wales. We hope our final episode of Iolo: The Last Wilderness of Wales is a fitting tribute to her.”
It is still not known how the female bird died, leaving questions for bird lovers, but plans are being made by the Eagle Reintroduction Wales project to reintroduce the bird of prey back into Welsh wildlife is under way. However, it is explained that this is not a simple process. They will firstly need Natural Resource Wales to issue a license which does take time.
The Golden Eagle has not left the UK completely and can still be found in the far North of Scotland.
JIM EGAN has sent out a rallying cry for people to pick up their binoculars and go bird-spotting for the Big Farmland Bird Count (BFBC) which returns on Friday, February 8.
The passionate organiser of the count, organised by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT), is urging farmers, land managers, gamekeepers and all wildlife enthusiasts to spend 30 minutes recording what species they see on their patch of land from February 8th to the 17th.
Your support will help identify the farmland birds that are flourishing due to good conservation methods and ones in need of most support.
“It would be fantastic to see even more farmers to take part in the count this year,” said Jim.
“Counting birds on farms is a great way to recognise what species are there as well as being an opportunity to take time out and see the benefits of work such as wild seed mix and supplementary feeding.
“Taking part and submitting results enables us at GWCT to shout about the important conservation work many farmers are doing.
“We want landowners to be proud of their efforts. We will make sure that the public and policymakers hear about what can be achieved on Britain’s farms. The BFBC is a very positive way to showcase what can be achieved.”
Backing this vital citizen-science project, running for the sixth successive year, is the NFU, which is this year’s sponsor.
President Minette Batters is vowing her support to the count by going bird-watching on her farm in Downton, Wiltshire.
She will be joined on day one with GWCT biodiversity advisor Pete Thompson, an advocate of the count, both of whom will be ready with their binoculars, notepads and sharpened pencils, recording what they see.
“I am delighted to be taking part in this year’s GWCT Big Farmland Bird Count which the NFU is pleased to be sponsoring for the very first time,” she said.
“It’s becoming an important national event where thousands of farmers and growers around the country are able to take stock of and importantly, take pride in what they find on their land.
“The NFU supports initiatives like the Big Farmland Bird Count as without sound management of the environment, enhancement of habitats, protection of wildlife and support for pollinators and soils, we do not have farming businesses.
“So, I would encourage all farmers to take part, and also remember to submit your records to the GWCT, so we can pull together a vital national snapshot of the state of the nation when it comes to farmland birds.”
A record-breaking 1,000 people took part in last year’s count, recording 121 species across 950,000 acres.
A total of 25 red-listed species were recorded, with five appearing in the 25 most commonly seen species list. These include fieldfares, starlings, house sparrows, song thrushes and yellowhammers. The most plentiful of these were fieldfares and starlings, which were seen on nearly 40% of the farms taking part.
At the end of the count, the results will be analysed by the Trust. All participants will receive a report on the national results once they have been collated.
HYBU Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) has appointed two new Flock and Herd Health Officers to its ambitious five-year Red Meat Development Programme, designed to equip Wales’s lamb and beef industry for a changing future.
The posts are key to delivering the programme’s commitment to helping farmers achieve on-farm efficiency and drive best practice in proactive animal health planning.
The programme is supported by the Welsh Government Rural Communities – Rural Development Programme 2014 – 2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.
Lowri Reed hails from a farming background near Llanon in central Ceredigion, whereas Lowri Williams is from Llanfihangel y Creuddyn near Aberystwyth, and is a graduate in Animal Management and Welfare from Harper Adams University.
Dr Rebekah Stuart, the coordinator of the Flock and Herd Health Project at HCC, said: “We’re delighted to have recruited two officers with experience and knowledge of agriculture and flock management to this important strand of work.
“There are few things that can have as great an impact on the efficiency and bottom line of a livestock enterprise as a proactive and coordinated approach to animal health and eradicating disease.
“The project will help farmers to work with vets to put health plans in place and monitor their effectiveness. Since opening an initial expression of interest window late last year at the Winter Fair, we’re encouraged by how many farmers are keen to be involved. We look forward to working with them to put this exciting project into action.”
