Bewildered by statements
Jinsy and David Robinson are organic dairy farmers from Penyrallt Farm in the Teifi Valley. It is a traditional, mixed, family farm, run by the Robinson family since 1960 and together they strive to farm in a way which has as little impact as possible on
WHAT a month it has been for sweeping statements and ill-informed comments from those in the corridors of power who supposedly represent and support farmers.
Joyce Watson, Member of the Senedd for mid and west Wales, stated that those dairy farms in perpetual TB hotspots should quit and do something else.
In a response to the ensuing criticism for her comments she only apologised for her clumsy approach whilst reiterating her point. Surely this shows a lack of sensitivity to the difficulties of the lives of many of the people she is representing.
Steve Barclay, the eighth minister at Defra in seven years, in one of his early statements said that he looked forward to his two dogs having access to the great landscapes. As farmers we are food producers, not creators of landscape for the convenience of dog walkers.
Yet another crass statement came from the new president of the CLA (Country Land & Business Association) Victoria Vyvyan, who said that one of her aims is greater public access to the countryside and would like well maintained, well signed footpaths “where you can be absolutely certain you are not going to encounter cows...so that it is not a fearful experience”.
Our reaction to this particular piece of nonsense is that here at Penyrallt more than half our fields have footpaths crossing them so heeding Ms Vyvan’s words would severely curtail the farm’s management.
It seems that sheep are the target once again for environmental woes. According to Ben Goldsmith, a former Defra advisor, sheep are responsible for soil erosion, flooding, seasonal drought, and people who like sheep are ‘bonkers’. He described sheep as ‘hopelessly non-viable’ and propped up solely with taxpayers’ money.
Fine words indeed from someone who has worked in Defra, which currently employs 10,000 people, a department run entirely on government money.
Not an ounce of nutrition, clothing or habitat maintenance is produced by this department.
The latest international climate talks are taking place in oil-rich Dubai. I expect the attendees all travelled by private jet (what’s wrong with Zoom?) and we just wonder what promises are going to be made that will be reneged on later, as seems to be the pattern?
We hope that flatulent livestock don’t yet again become the scapegoat for all climatic problems.
Consider the volcano that is currently threatening to erupt any day now in Iceland, which is spewing out 100,000 tonnes of CO2 and other gases daily.
It has been estimated that if this particular volcano was involved in carbon-trading it would be costing £4.2 million a day.
It is that time of year when we look both backwards and forwards. Dare I mention the weather? It has been wet and our rain gauge has only just been large enough to hold the 6 inches a month.
More importantly, let’s look forward... the cycle continues.
We are already planning areas to re-seed and looking forward to taking a tractor into a field to do simple jobs like mending fences and clearing shed branches once the land has dried out.
Once again we will wish you all the very best for the festive season and remind you that we farmers work 365 days a year to produce the food on your tables, whether it be a festive meal or just everyday bread and cheese.
Nadolig Llawen i pawb!
WE recently called on the Welsh Government to undertake a review of the costs and administrative burdens placed upon livestock keepers resulting from the current TB testing regime in Wales. The call followed an announcement by the Minister for Rural Affairs which outlined additional testing requirements for the low and intermediate risk areas of Wales.
The changes come as part of the five-year delivery plan published earlier this year and from February 1, pre-movement testing will be reintroduced into the low TB area of Wales, whilst cattle moving into the intermediate TB area from the high TB area of Wales, the highrisk area of England and from Northern Ireland will need a post-movement test. Farmers can still move cattle that have tested clear at a government funded routine surveillance test, such as the annual herd test.
We recognise the need to protect the low-risk area from further disease spread, but the cost-benefit of increased testing must be fully considered. According to data provided by the Welsh Government, between 2017 and 2022 there were over 860,000 pre-movement tests. Of these, just 0576 reactors and 610 inconclusive reactors were disclosed. In the LTBA, there were just two reactors over this time period – one in 2020 and one in 2021 – but more than 43,000 pre-movement tests were conducted. Over the same time period in the intermediate mid risk area, no reactors were disclosed from post movement testing.
The increased costs of these new policies come at a time when the industry is facing potential reductions to the compensation paid to cattle keepers following the compulsory slaughter of cattle infected with bovine TB and we are therefore calling on the Welsh Government to properly analyse the cost-benefit of such proposals and to take a more rounded view of the overall impact on farm businesses prior to implementation.