NFU Cymru has teamed up with Ramblers Cymru to encourage walkers in the countryside over the coming months to follow the Countryside Code.
With bank holiday weekends around the corner and the daylight stretching further, it is anticipated that visitor numbers to the countryside will surge.
NFU Cymru has joined forces with the walking charity Ramblers Cymru to remind those headed onto Wales’ footpaths to do so 'safely and responsibly'.
The public are being reminded on numerous points, such as keepings dogs on a lead near livestock, picking up after dogs, leaving gates closed and following local signs.
Visitors should also keep to marked footpaths and rights of way, both groups say, and they should not block access to gateways or driveways when parking.
NFU Cymru Rural Affairs Board Chairman, Hedd Pugh said visitors must be 'respectful' of the farmed environment and the animals that call it home.
“As well as hosting footpaths and rights of way, our fields are also a working environment where animals graze," he explained.
"Spring is a particularly busy time for many Welsh farms with new-born lambs and calves enjoying their surroundings for the first time.
“I’m really pleased that we’ve been able to share this important messaging with our partners from Ramblers Cymru."
Almost nine in 10 Brits are breaking the Countryside Code when they go out walking, but the vast majority are doing so without realising, a recent report revealed.
A survey of 2,000 walkers explored their knowledge of the Countryside Code, and what they do to protect the natural and farmed landscape.
The most common way that people breach the Code, which advises people on how to enjoy the countryside responsibly, is by going through an open gate and closing it behind them (46%).
Rebecca Brough, policy manager at Ramblers Cymru said: “By following the simple guidance in the Countryside Code we can all do our bit to protect the environment and the local communities and people who live there.”
NFU Cymru’s website also has a range of gate signs and other materials for farmers that can offer guidance and advice to walkers.
What is the guidance?
NFU Cymru and Ramblers Cymru are reminding those headed onto Wales’ footpaths to do so safely and responsibly:
• Keep your dog close and under effective control on a short lead around cows and sheep - but release the lead if you are chased by cattle
• Pick up after your dog and remember to take your litter home with you
• Leave gates as you find them
• Follow local signs and keep to marked footpaths and rights of way
• Do not block access to gateways or driveways when parking
