A farmer who herds five-hundred sheep has said the consequences of not grazing the uplands would include a "devastating impact" on the environment and tourism.
Carmarthen sheep farmer and Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) Vice President Ian Rickman, who farms at 1000ft-above-sea-level, has highlighted the important role sheep play in maintaining the countryside.
Mr Rickman farms 500 Llandovery white faced ewes, which are due to lamb during the next two months.
But he fears that the consequences of not grazing the mountains would have a devastating impact on the environment and tourism.
The farm extends to 220 acres with Common Grazing Rights on the Black Mountain, and he is a member of the Management Committee of the Black Mountain West Graziers Association.
To showcase just how much farming matters and to discuss wider issues of concern, he held an open day in February, welcoming Jonathan Edwards MP, Adam Price AM, Dafydd Llewelyn Dyfed Powys Police and Crime Commissioner, Councillor Gareth Thomas, various business representatives and many local farmers.
'Many generations'
Mr Rickman explained the importance of grazing the mountains, which has been going on for "many generations".
“I move the ewe lambs annually to the mountains and common land with their mothers where they are taught where to graze,” Mr Rickman said.
“It has been an important part of grazing the mountains for many generations.
“If lamb prices dropped drastically, we lost our market or farm support was to diminish, it could mean less or no sheep on the mountains.
“That in turn could have a detrimental effect on the landscape of the mountains in years to come and therefore also on tourism, the communities that are intrinsic to our rural economy, and our way of life here in the uplands would change - and possibly not for the better.”
'Real problem'
Nerys Edwards, the FUW’s assistant CEO in Carmarthen highlighted the need for urgent funding security for upland farmers like Ian Rickman.
She said: “We know that the UK Government has said that it will match the current EU budget that supports farming and our rural economies, but how that money gets to Wales and how it is managed has not been determined.
“That of course is a real problem for our farmers like Ian, because they can’t plan for the future.
“It is encouraging to hear First Minister Carwyn Jones backing the industry and we recently heard him say that “agricultural funding will have to be held in a separate pot and dealt with in a different way”.
“However, there is a risk that it could go through the Barnett Formula, which will reduce the £260 m to circa £150 million and spell disaster for our rural economy.
“The FUW is now actively lobbying for the money to be assigned from the UK Government to Wales, for agriculture and we really appreciated being able to raise this with our local elected politicians here on farm.”
