Monmouthshire farmers frustrated with new Sheep ID and Movement Regulations

Frustrating and unacceptable was how NFU Cymru County Chairman John Biggs summed up the current situation with the proposed local cattle market and the new sheep ID and Movement regulations recently at Monmouthshire NFU AGM.

Glyn Williams the county livestock representative told members that they should all receive notification from the Welsh Assembly Government of the new sheep ID and Movement rules in the next day or two. He said, "These rules are totally impractical and extremely hard to understand. My main worry is that farmers will unwittingly break the rules and as a result could compromise their Single Farm Payment."

NFU Cymru County Vice Chairman, Owen Tamplin, a sheep farmer from Machen, told members that NFU Cymru would continue to lobby and work with the Welsh Assembly Government for a change to the rules to better suit the welsh farmer.

County Chairman John Biggs then moved on to tell local members how he was becoming increasingly concerned over the continued delay to get planning permission for the preferred Raglan site for the new Monmouthshire cattle market.

Mr Biggs said, "Monmouthshire farmers are becoming increasingly frustrated over the issue of the cattle market. We all recognise that the Raglan site is the best place for the new market in terms of location and access and all we want now is for things to move forward for the sake of local farmers."