Welsh Assemby relaxes rules on supplementary feeding

Ceredigion NFU Cymru members are glad the Welsh Assembly Government has listened to their pleas and has today relaxed rules on supplementary feeding to help Welsh livestock farmers through the big freeze.

During NFU Cymru’s Ceredigion County Conference the Welsh Assembly Government was asked to take a pragmatic approach to cross compliance regulations during this severe and prolonged period of freezing weather.

The Welsh Assembly Government’s Rural Affairs Director, Rory O’Sullivan, was the guest speaker at the event held at the Feathers Royal Hotel in Aberaeron. Dai Evans, NFU Cymru Ceredigion County Chairman told him, "Livestock farmers in Wales are currently facing severe problems as a result of the prolonged period of freezing weather we’ve experienced in the last few weeks and these difficulties are likely to continue as weather forecasters are already predicting further freezing conditions until the end of January.

"There are normally restrictions imposed on farmers in agri-environment schemes that don’t allow for supplementary feeding. However, the welfare of their animals is currently a huge concern for Welsh farmers and we called on the Welsh Assembly Government to do all it could to help farmers and their animals through this difficult time.

"This announcement today will be an enormous help as it will allow farmers to give additional feed to their livestock during this cold period. This will help ease the pressure being felt by many livestock farmers throughout the country without putting their agri-environment payments at risk."

Rory O’Sullivan addressed the conference on a number of the important current policy issues in Wales including bovine TB, the possible impacts of further reforms of the EU Common Agricultural Policy to Welsh farmers and the new Glastir agri-environment scheme which will be introduced in 2012.

Ceredigion NFU County Deputy President Aeron Jenkins said, "We’re very grateful to Rory O’Sullivan for coming to speak to Ceredigion NFU Cymru members and highlighting some of the major policy changes that farmers in Ceredigion will face over the next few years. Our thanks also go to HSBC Bank Plc for sponsoring the event."