November 2008 Archives

The Farmers' Union of Wales today called for a ban on animal imports from Bluetongue serotype 1 (BTV1) zones after the disease was found in five cattle imported from France on premises near Blackpool.

FUW President Gareth Vaughan said: "In February this year we called for a voluntary import ban in order to minimise the risk of introducing BTV8 and other strains of the disease, and we have already written to the European Commission calling for stricter rules in order to minimise the risk of importing disease. This is precisely the type of incident we were warning about."

The animals, which originated from within a BTV1 and 8 Restricted Zone in south west France, were confirmed as BTV1 positive following post-movement testing on the premises near Blackpool. The incident represents the first case of BTV1 detected in the UK.

The five animals - and one further animal which tested positive for an undetermined BTV serotype - were culled and the premises is now under restrictions whilst epidemiological investigations take place. It is understood the animals conformed to all the legal requirements and had been vaccinated against BTV1 more than 60 days before the movement occurred.

"The fact that the animals tested positive despite complying with the EC legislation underlines the risks of the current system, and the urgent need for the EU to react to our calls for stricter controls," said Mr Vaughan.

"If the EU imposes stricter movement rules then obviously they will apply to our own exports, as we are in a BTV zone. However, that implication is one we must accept as part of the cost of minimising the risks to our own livestock. We are now in a situation where Welsh farmers can vaccinate against BTV8, but that is not the case for BTV1."

In September, Mr Vaughan wrote to European Commissioner for animal health and welfare Androulla Vassiliou, calling for an urgent review of animal movement rules between Bluetongue protection zones. His letter stated that while the current focus remains on vaccinating and protecting against BTV8, the rapid spread of other strains - in particular BTV1 - is also a major cause for concern, given the current supplies of and demand for vaccine against all strains.

It added: "We believe that all movements of animals from high to low risk zones should be banned until sufficient time has passed to allow farmers to have vaccinated against the relevant strains of BTV, and for those vaccines to have taken effect.

"While we recognise that the movement of infected midges represents the major vector for the disease, livestock movements have the potential to introduce the disease into new areas that are hundreds or thousands of miles away from the original source of infection."

You are warmly invited to an FUW-organised meeting this Friday (November 28) at 11am at Old Court Farm Pandy, Abergavenny, NP7 7PH - by kind permission of Mr and Mrs C W Probert - when Monmouth MP David Davies and AM Nick Ramsay will be in attendance.

The questions to be raised will include the need for pre-movement testing of cattle for bovine TB as well other issues relating to the disease. Several questions are expected on EID, support for young farmers, the future of agri-environmental schemes and Axis 2 consultation, the future of livestock markets in Monmouthshire and red tape.

Local YFC representatives will be attending.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

If you plan to attend the meeting please contact FUW Gwent County Executive Officer Glyn Davies on 01873 853280.

Your are warmly invited to a meeting this Thursday (November 27) at 3pm when a group of officials from Meirionnydd FUW will be meeting Sir John Houghton, one of the world's most authoritative experts on climate change, who lives at Aberdyfi.

The meeting will be held at the home of FUW county committee member David Roberts, of Trefrifawr Farm, Aberdyfi.

Sir John is a former chair of the scientific assessment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) - 1988-2002. He is a Nobel Prize winner, and retired 13 years ago as head of the Met Office.

From 1991 to 1998 he was chairman of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution. He is the author of several books which include "Global Warming; the complete briefing".

The meeting will be a great opportunity to discuss the challenges and opportunities of climate change from an agricultural perspective in Wales. It has been stated that agriculture on an UK basis accounts for 7.5% of all UK emissions.

Amongst many issues to be discussed will be the recent creation of the Department for Energy and Climate Change, and the recent legally binding commitment by the UK to reduce emissions by 80% by 2050.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

If you plan to attend the meeting please contact FUW Meirionnydd County Executive Officer Huw Jones on 01341 422298.

Farmers' Union of Wales president Gareth Vaughan today described the Common Agriculture Policy reform agreement as a "hotchpotch" of changes, some of which are positive for Wales while some represent a backward step.

Speaking just after returning from Brussels, where he was part of Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones's contingent during the negotiations, Mr Vaughan said: "This is very much a case of two steps forward in some areas, and two steps back in others.

"It has been clear for some time that our lobbying to retain historic payments for longer than the Commission originally intended had paid off, but we now need to start looking at sustainable future models for the Single Payment beyond 2012."

Under the proposals Compulsory Modulation is set to increase by two percentage points in 2009, and one percentage point in each of the three years after that, reaching 10 per cent in 2012. Voluntary Modulation is set to fall in order to reflect the increase.

"This compares favourably with the original proposal to increase Compulsory Modulation to 13 per cent in 2012, and means that the gap between modulation rates in Wales and other regions will close as we approach 2012."

The plans to introduce extra modulation for farms receiving more than €100,000 (progressive modulation) were also watered down in a compromise that means farmers receiving more than €300,000 will lose an extra four per cent to modulation, but those below this level will receive no extra modulation.

"During consultations on the issue of progressive modulation, FUW members made it clear that they were not against the principle of increased modulation for larger farms, but that the number of family members and other workers relying on the business needed to be taken into account.

"Given the complexity of doing this, and the likelihood that farms would simply have been split up in order to avoid extra modulation, I believe that the agreement is favourable for Wales, with only a small handful of farms being affected."

However, Mr Vaughan expressed major concerns regarding the impact of an agreement that allows Member States to fund headage payments using unspent CAP monies. The "National Envelope" provision will also allow Member States to top-slice Single Payments by up to 3.5 per cent in order to fund market distorting headage payments.

"Since Wales' total CAP allocation is lower than in other countries, we are far less likely to have underspend, meaning that we cannot take advantage of this new provision. Yet other countries are already planning to introduce packages of headage payments funded by unspent money, and this will put Welsh producers at a competitive disadvantage

"This allowance is a major step backwards and will undermine the prices received by Welsh farmers, particularly in the sheep sector. A farmer lambing at 120 per cent and receiving an extra £18 per ewe can effectively knock £15 off the price of his lambs without any change to the profitability of his farm."

Ministers also agreed that milk quotas should increase by one per cent each year from 2009 to 2013 in an attempt to lessen the blow of the anticipated abolition of the quota system on April 1, 2015.

"The FUW maintains its position that the milk quota system should be maintained beyond 2015, as it provides stability in the marketplace and plays an important role in supporting smaller family farms," said Mr Vaughan.

"Any liberalisation of the system should have taken the form of a reduction in the superlevy rate. The agreement therefore goes against FUW policy.

"However, two reviews of quota policy were agreed to, one in 2010 and one in 2012, and I hope that this will provide an opportunity for Member States to look more properly at the impact of the abolition of quotas.

"I am pleased to say that many organisations are now coming round to our way of thinking on the issue of quotas. The deregulation of milk production could be as catastrophic for our dairy farmers as the deregulation of the financial sector has proven to be for the World economy."

Commenting on the proposed changes to the Cross Compliance regime, Mr Vaughan expressed major concerns regarding compulsory standards that require the establishment of buffer strips along water courses by 2012.

"We have already expressed our concerns regarding this issue to WAG officials, and we will be pushing for the lightest possible touch to be applied in Wales.

"The application of such a sweeping Regulation over the whole of Europe epitomises the EU at its worst. Even within Member States, rainfalls, climates, and soil types can vary dramatically, and it is obvious that this is an area where flexibility should be paramount."

Ends

CAPTION:

FUW president Gareth Vaughan (right) with Elin Jones and NFU Cymru president Dai Davies at the Welsh Assembly Government office in Brussels.

The Farmers' Union of Wales' Milk and Dairy Produce Committee has called for stricter border controls to prevent the importation of live animals infected with diseases.

Speaking after a recent meeting, FUW vice-president and committee chairman, Eifion Huws said: "While the current focus of concern is the importation of Bluetongue infected animals, animal imports also represent a danger through the introduction of a wide variety of other dangerous diseases."

In February the FUW called for a voluntary live animal import ban, due to the risks associated with importing Bluetongue (BTV) infected animals. However, under European trade rules individuals are entitled to import animals from other EU regions that have the same BTV status.

Mr Huws added: "We understand that, during routine on-farm testing of imported animals for BTV, a number of anomalies have come to light in terms of the paperwork associated with animals."

The committee emphasised the strict rules that must be adhered to when exporting animals from the UK, but expressed concern that these are not mirrored when it comes to animal imports from the continent.

In a letter to the Chief Veterinary Officer, Christianne Glossop, the union calls for action to be taken to ensure that the relevant authorities properly scrutinise all the necessary paperwork at UK borders, and, where necessary, take steps to minimise the risk of introducing diseases into UK livestock.

Dear reader/Annwyl ddarllenwr,

We are happy to inform you that the latest edition of Y Tir/Welsh Farmer is now available on-line at www.welshfarmer.com
Rydym yn falch o fedru eich hysbysu fod rhifyn diweddara' Y Tir/Welsh Farmer ar gael yn awr ar lein. Defnyddiwch y ddolen ganlynol: www.welshfarmer.com

Best regards,

Cofion gorau,

Peter Roberts, Editor/Golygydd
peter.roberts@fuw.org.uk

The Farmers' Union of Wales' Milk and Dairy Produce Committee has welcomed the appointment of Roger Evans as the new Chairman of the UK Dairy Farmers' Forum.

Mr Evans, who farms 350 acres in Shropshire with his son David, was elected Chairman of the Forum at a recent meeting in London.

Mr Evans runs a herd of 190 milkers, producing 1.3 million litres per year. He is a former Chairman of First Milk, and is the First Milk representative for Shropshire, Montgomeryshire and Worcestershire, as well as being an elected director of the co-operative.

Milk and Dairy Produce Committee Chairman Eifion Huws, who attended the meeting in London, said: "Mr Evans' thorough understanding of the dairy industry is invaluable, and I am delighted that he has agreed to lead the forum.

"I believe that this appointment will restore confidence in the Farmers' Forum, and I hope it will now play a more central role in advising Dairy UK on important issues within the industry."

During the meeting Rex Ward, a dairy farmer from Cornwall, was elected Vice Chairman. Both men will take a seat on the main Board of Dairy UK.

Mr Evans' appointment follows the resignation of Gwyn Jones from the Dairy UK Board and Farmers' Forum chairmanship in September.

The proposals to introduce electronic tagging of sheep and goats from January 2010 was the main topic discussed at the Annual General Meeting of the Farmers' Union of Wales, Denbighshire branch this week.

The three guest speakers, Jill Evans MEP, John Draycup, St Merryn's Meats and Union President Gareth Vaughan explained their views on the regulation. It was questioned whether the consumer wanted EID and whether it would provide better traceability. Mr Vaughan stated the Union would continue to lobby for the regulation to become voluntary for member states across Europe.

Other topics discussed included CAP reform, branding Welsh produce, livestock prices as well as supporting new entrants into the industry.

At the end of the meeting County Chairman Glyn Jones, said,"We thank the speakers and those members in attendance for an interesting and informative evening. We as a Union will continue to provide the industry with a strong voice ensuring our views are clearly heard, and taken fully into consideration."

MEMBERS of the Montgomeryshire branch of the Farmers' Union of Wales in the Tir Gofal agri-environment and Organic Farming schemes today met local AM Mick Bates to discuss their difficulties since changes were made to the administrative requirements of the schemes.

"The process of matching the different maps drawn up for each scheme with the Single Payment map is generating a lot of queries from Rural Payments Wales over very small areas of land and in a number of cases the same queries were being raised this year as last year," said the union's county executive officer Susan Jones.

"These queries are delaying validation of the Single Payment application forms which have also resulted in delays of Tir Gofal and Organic Farming Scheme payments.

"For some farmers this is resulting in cash flow issues when these payments are outstanding for more than six months.

"In previous years payments were received on the anniversary of the Agreement but since the EU required full validation of the SAF form to be complete before payment can be released, payment is unpredictable."

Tir Gofal was a ten-year agreement with a break at five years to review the programme of works. A number of farmers are waiting over 12 months to have the second half of their commitment to Tir Gofal signed.

The Organic Farming Scheme was intended to assist farmers through the period of organic conversion and the early years of organic production. The payment was to help them through this period when income is reduced.

Again due to mapping issues and validation being required before payments can be made this was affecting cash flow.

After the meeting, Montgomeryshire FUW County Chairman Arwel Rees said: "In today's financial climate these payments should be made as soon as possible.

"Farms are the same as any small business - borrowing money is costly in today's climate so you can understand farmer's frustrations when cash flows are affected by delayed payments from the Welsh Assembly.

"Many of the queries raised over mapping issues were including land not owned by the farmer. A typical mapping query would be over small areas of 0.01hecares of difference in habitat area declared.

"Members expressed their disappointment and lack of confidence with the schemes."