Bitter disappointment to hedge cutting dates!

NFU Cymru is bitterly disappointed at the announcement made today at the Environment Planning and Countryside Committee at the Welsh Assembly that there will be no change to the hedge cutting dates on farmland under the Single Payment Scheme cross compliance requirement.

"We issued strong opposition to this 'closed period' for hedge trimming, due to practical difficulties facing many of our farmers relating to health and safety. The topography of the Welsh landscape, 80% of which is designated less favoured, its climate and the nature of the machinery involved in hedge maintenance, make it extremely difficult to get onto land for a significant part of the 1 September to 28 February window. We are extremely disappointed that Carwyn Jones, the Minister has ignored health and safety considerations, and not taken heed of our farmers' concerns," said Peredur Hughes, NFU Cymru President.

"I am asking the question, does the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) feel that promoting biodiversity and sustainability within the Welsh landscape is more important than putting farmers lives at risk? The typical scenario facing an upland farmer in Wales during this hedge cutting period is that: a farmer could be working on a hill and upland area, goes to trim his hedges on a sloping terrain, there are less daylight hours, the ground is saturated from the increased wet weather, he doesn't want to cause any soil damage to fields - there are huge health and safety implications for these farmers! Bringing this date back, by one month would have been of huge benefit here in Wales."

"I do, however, welcome the fact that there will be a concession for arable farmers whose crops are required to be planted before 31 August. The hedge trimming closed period start date will be brought back one month to 31 July, this is a pragmatic approach for arable farmers and will assist to safeguard newly planted crops. This was something NFU Cymru had called for when submitting the consultation paper on these cross compliance issues to WAG."

"NFU Cymru also welcome Carwyn Jones' announcement for reducing the burden of administration on the farming industry. We support a move to changing the soil management self-assessment arrangements to a record book, kept on the farm, and available to officers during farm inspections. This will help to prevent the need to submit a soil self assessment form to the Assembly, and subsequent amendments during the year."