NFU CYMRU Fighting On All Issues

UK - “Important issues such as Bovine TB haven’t gone away just because the only diseases the media are interested in at the moment are Bluetongue and Foot and Mouth,” said Dai Davies President of NFU Cymru, who will meet the Minister for Rural Affairs next Wednesday to discuss TB as well as other issues currently affecting Welsh farmers such as the burden of regulation.

22 October 2007

2 minute read

Europe

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"In the absence, or pending the establishment of, a single farm inspection body there undoubtedly has to be more effective co-ordination between inspection agencies.

Dai Davies, NFU Cymru President."

NFU Cymru will meet the Minister for Rural Affairs, Elin Jones, next Wednesday, in Cardiff and on its shopping list of issues to discuss are Bovine TB, the regulatory burden on the industry, promoting Welsh food, the Welsh Rural Development Plan and the CAP Reform healthcheck.

The Union gave evidence to the Welsh Assembly’s Rural Development Sub-Committee in the Summer on stopping the spread of Bovine TB and will push home its message again next Wednesday that thorough, regular culling of diseased badgers, over relatively large areas bound by hard physical boundaries would produce a significant reduction of bovine TB in Wales.

During Wednesday’s meeting NFU Cymru will also once again call for the regulatory burden on Welsh farmers to be eased as it did recently in its response to a consultation on the Eves Report.

Dai Davies, NFU Cymru President, said, “In the absence, or pending the establishment of, a single farm inspection body there undoubtedly has to be more effective co-ordination between inspection agencies. Our members regularly report that they receive several inspections from various authorities within the space of a few weeks, which is wasteful in resource terms both for inspecting bodies and for farmers affected.”

In the light of the recent disease outbreaks of Foot and Mouth and Bluetongue, NFU Cymru will also reiterate and emphasise its resistance to plans to impose animal health costs and disease levies on the industry.

Dai Davies said, “In 2003 we supported the Welsh Assembly Government’s decision to decouple support and make Single Farm Payments on a historic basis. NFU Cymru will be pressing for this approach to be extended in the CAP Health Check but also for greater latitude in terms of cross-compliance. We will also push for the level of voluntary modulation in Wales to be reduced in line with any increase that might come about from a rise at an EU level, so as to restore the competitive position of Welsh farmers.”

Other issues which will be discussed with the Minister next Wednesday morning will be NFU Cymru’s resistance to cost sharing and the Welsh Rural Development Plan.