NFU welcomes welfare disposal scheme

The proposal announced this afternoon by the Minister for Rural Affairs, Elin Jones, to set up a Welfare Disposal Scheme for light lambs, has been warmly welcomed by NFU Cymru.

NFU Cymru President Dai Davies, said, "We have been calling for a Welfare Disposal Scheme from day one of this Foot and Mouth outbreak and are very pleased to see that our pleas have finally been answered. 20% of Welsh lambs are destined for the export market and will not be accommodated on the home market; livestock producers are in desperate need of this welfare disposal scheme."

The Rural Affairs Minister has said that she is seeking authorisation under the European Commission's state aid procedures to run a light lamb disposal scheme in Wales. The proposal is that farmers would be paid £15 per light lamb submitted to the scheme. If no GB funding is available then the costs will be met by the Welsh Assembly Government from non-agricultural budgets.

Dai Davies said, "We recognise that £15 per lamb is well below market rates but we must remember that as the autumnal weather hits home, there are increasing amounts of stock that have no grass and more and more stock that have no market. With the current situation being absolutely desperate with economic and welfare problems continuing to grow on farms as each day passes this could provide some welcome relief."