The fabric of Welsh society depends on a secure future for farming

With Brexit bringing uncertainty at a level not seen for generations, Farmers’Union of Wales president Glyn Roberts gives his view on six of the most pressing challenges currently facing the Welsh farming industry

MORE than 16,000 or so Welsh farms employ around 55,000 people, and are key links in supply chains which sustain tens of thousands of other businesses, from upstream merchants, agricultural contractors and engineers, to downstream hauliers, processors and retailers – not to mention being responsible for maintaining environments and landscapes which attract millions of visitors each year.

TRADE

Some 60% of all Welsh exports go to mainland Europe, and this includes a third of the lamb we produce and a large proportion of our beef and dairy products.

Ninety-five per cent of meat and meat preparation exports and 90% of dairy and egg exports go to the European Union.

The decision to leave the Single Market and the Customs Union risks making exporting to the EU far more expensive, due to border checks and other bureaucracy – and in the worst case scenario, we could end up paying tariffs that make exporting unviable.

Meanwhile, the UK Government is considering signing trade deals which would allow the importation of cheap food produced to standards which fall well short of those required of Welsh farmers.

Not surprisingly, the FUW has objected to such moves, and has called for the UK to remain within both the Common Market and Customs Union.

RURAL SUPPORT

Our rural communities currently receive around £350m a year through the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), with some £260 going to support farmers.

Each pound received by Welsh farms generates many more pounds for other businesses – mechanics, hauliers, contractors and so on – meaning the economic benefits of the CAP stretch far beyond the farmyard and are annually worth billions to Wales’ economy.

Brexit means farm support systems will inevitably change, and there is also great uncertainty around the total budget the UK will ultimately make available for rural businesses – on top of which there is uncertainty about how much Wales’ share of the UK budget will be.

Given this, the FUW has called for Wales to continue to receive at least what it currently does and for all changes to payment systems to be carefully investigated so Welsh businesses and jobs are not affected.

BOVINE TB

Bovine TB represents the most significant disease affecting cattlekeepers in Wales. Despite numerous control programmes and decades of restrictive regulations involving cattle testing, cattle movement restrictions and cattle culling, the most recent figures show that more than 670 herds remain under restrictions caused by bovine TB.

In 1995, despite there being almost double the number of registered herds, just 83 herds were restricted due to this disease. The number of animals slaughtered due to bovine TB in 1996 and 2017 was 917 and 10,053 respectively.

Despite numerous reports and a wealth of scientific evidence showing badgers to be a major factor, action in Wales to deal with the problem has been timid to say the