Farmers urged to rethink hedge-trimming policies
WELSH farmers have been assured that measures that protect and increase biodiversity on their farms can be easily integrated and have benefits for their livestock.
Farms already have valuable assets in their hedges and trees. By trimming hedges less often and less severely, and planting trees in the right place, habitat for wildlife will not only be improved, but will also provide shelter and shade for cattle and sheep, says Geraint Jones, technical forestry officer at Farming Connect.
“There are many changes that can be accommodated on your farms that will work for the benefit of your businesses,’’ he told farmers listening in to a recent Farming Connect biodiversity webinar.
“Farmers need to decide what the real advantages and disadvantages of different measures are, from an environmental and economic perspective, and implement a programme of work to achieve those objectives.’’
This won’t mean wholescale changes in how land is farmed in Wales, Mr Jones suggested. However, adopting techniques and options that enable agricultural practices to work hand in hand with nature will contribute to improving the environmental and economic performance of the farm business, he added.
“Allowing hedgerows and shelterbelts to increase in volume will improve structure, and could help towards a suggested target of a 10% biodiversity net gain,’’ said Mr Jones.
He urged farmers to “have that conversation’’ with their hedgetrimming contractors.
“There is often no conversation between farmers and their hedgecutting contractors, and the farmers are happy to let the contractors take the lead.
“However, in future, with clear emphasis on improving biodiversity, they need to identify objectives, plan the change and relay that in a conversation with their contractors.’’
The webinar saw examples of what benefits could be gained in a series of images from three Farming Connect demonstration sites. Most hedgerows surveyed were wide, tall and provided excellent wildlife habitat, as well as shelter for livestock during inclement weather, and shade in hot temperatures.