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Farming

Agriculture’s importance emphasised

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(L-R): Stephen Mansel Davies, Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths, Kaye Mansel Davies, FUW Deputy President, Brian Thomas, and FUW President, Glyn Roberts

(L-R): Stephen Mansel Davies, Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths, Kaye Mansel Davies, FUW Deputy President, Brian Thomas, and FUW President, Glyn Roberts

A DELEGATION of Farmers’ Union of Wales officials met with Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths, on Monday (Aug 15) to discuss the wider economic and social importance of agriculture to the rural and urban economy as well as the importance of encouraging the next generation into the industry. 

The meeting was held at Llwyncelyn Lan farm, Llanfyrnach – home of FUW Deputy President Brian Thomas who has been farming here since 1988. The delegation then visited Mansel Davies and Son Ltd. to discuss the history and nature of the business and its interrelationship with the agricultural industry and rural economy.

Brian Thomas, who farms 280 acres, 30 acres of which is woodland, in North Pembrokeshire, runs a herd of 100 beef shorthorn cattle and a flock of 300 ewes, with cereals also being grown.

Speaking after the meeting, FUW Deputy President Brian Thomas said: “I would first of all like to thank Lesley Griffiths for meeting us here at my home farm. We had wide ranging discussions on farming matters and used the opportunity to highlight the important role farming plays in our rural economy.

“If we are to encourage the next generation to take up farming, it has to be viable for them. Looking around here, there are only one in eight farms that have children who want to take over the family business. The average age of farmers in my local area is 60 plus, so we need to put measures in place that ensure these farms have a future for the sake of our rural economy.

“I see the future for farming in youth. However, with farm household incomes averaging around £13,000 a year and working hours exceeding 60+ per week – why would they? Due to the nature of the business, we are only ever one step away from a crisis.

“Our farming businesses provide stability for the rural economy, income for our children and our families and hold communities together. We now have an opportunity to do something great – and that is shaping our own future in terms of markets and legislations, a point we made clear to the Cabinet Secretary here today.”

Highlighting how important the second and third sector businesses are in making the wheels of our rural economies go around were Stephen and Kaye Mansel Davies of Mansel Davies and Son Ltd.

The company was established in 1875 by the late John Davies. Mansel Davies, his son, joined the business in 1900 and the company still uses that name today. The company is now run by Kaye Mansel Davies (Chairman), fourth generation, and his son Stephen Mansel Davies (Managing Director). The next generation are already involved in the company.

They currently employ over 300 people and operate 180 trucks, with all of its employees living within a 40 mile radius of Llanfyrnach. Apart from the local authority and the oil refinery, they are the largest employers in Pembrokeshire with an annual turnover just short of £30 million.

Stephen Mansel Davies highlighted that 90% of the company’s work is linked to agricultural, saying that: “We are the largest milk haulier in Wales, collecting 1.4 million litres per day for seven different buyers and doing UK distribution for a further two buyers. Our total milk or milk products movements comes to about four million litres per day.”

The company delivers milk and milk products into processors in Newcastle Emlyn, Llangefni, South Caernarfon, Felinfach, Acton, London, Southampton, Droitwich, Bridgewater, Westbury, North Tawton, Aylesbury, Chester, Severnside and a number of other factories around the UK.

Another important sector of the business is the distribution of animal feed in the area. Mansel Davies and Son are also the largest suppliers of ground limestone, which they also spread on to the land for soil neutralisation.

Following the meeting with the Cabinet Secretary, Stephen Mansel Davies said: “All of those who are involved in Government need to understand how important agriculture is to Wales – it’s the only sustainable long term industry we have. When you look at the numbers employed directly and indirectly into the sector, it is far more important than people and Government give it credit for.

“Agriculture, and in particular the dairy industry, has just gone through very hard times with farm gate prices dropping in the region of 30%, which is not sustainable. As a direct result of low milk prices, we have seen volumes drop 11% from July 15 to July 16. If managed correctly, I think Brexit could bring long term positives to agriculture – the important part will be the management by government of the transition period and the short term.”

The Union will continue to highlight how much farming matters through regular meetings with key decisions makers, industry stakeholders, as well as Governments in Westminster and Cardiff.

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Farming

£1,000 bursary award available to Pembrokeshire agricultural students

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PEMBROKESHIRE Agricultural Society’s £1,000 Bursary Award is now open for applications from students studying agriculture, veterinary science, agricultural engineering, food technology, forestry or other subjects allied to agriculture.

The Student Bursary Award 2024 is available to students, from Pembrokeshire, who are currently studying or have been accepted to start their studies. They can apply for this financial support to assist with their chosen college or career path.

Last year’s winner of the award was Lottie Wilson from Hayscastle. Lottie was studying agriculture at the University of Nottingham when she applied for the bursary. When she is at home she is a general dairy farm worker as well as a lambing hand and a calving beef herd assistant. In 2021 she was the top agriculture student at Hartpury College.

Robert James, Chairman of the Society’s Bursary Committee said, “I would urge all Pembrokeshire students who study subjects that are clearly aligned to agriculture to apply for this bursary as it won’t only assist with your studies but will also give you great experiences such as undertaking an interview which is a key employment skill. It will also assist in your future career within the agriculture industry.”

“A panel of independent judges will draw up a short list of candidates who will be interviewed and the winning candidate will be asked to give a short presentation at a future meeting of the society’s show council.

“The standard of applications has always been exceptional which gives a lot of heart that there are a lot of very talented young people in our community. We are very much looking forward to receiving applications for this year’s bursary and hearing from the younger generation.”  

Qualifying students must not have won the student bursary on a previous occasion, the applicant must be studying or has been accepted to study agriculture or allied subjects at a UK college or university at A-Level or higher and the applicant’s family home must be in Pembrokeshire.

The bursary is tax free and will be awarded to the student who, in the opinion of the panel of judges, has submitted the best dissertation on how the bursary will assist them to complete their course of study.

Further details and the entry form can be found online: Student Bursary Award | Pembrokeshire County Show | Pembs Agricultural Society (pembsshow.org)  or by calling the show office: 01437 764331. The closing date for applications is noon on Monday, 1 July 2024.

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Farming

Farmers who knowingly kept cattle with bovine TB on farm fined

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THREE members of a Pembrokeshire farming family have been sentenced for deliberately swapping cattle ear tags; actions that saw animals with Bovine Tuberculosis (TB) reactors remain on the farm.

Bovine Tuberculosis is a zoonotic infection that can infect many species, including humans and wildlife, though transmission to humans in the UK is very rare as a result of control measures in place across the agricultural and food industries.

The actions of Edward, Charles and Henry Hartt displayed widespread illegality and created an unacceptable and serious risk to animal health.

The Hartts operate a large scale dairy and beef farming enterprise – Messrs EW Hartt & Sons – at Longford Farm, Clynderwen, comprising about 2800 cattle.

The three men were sentenced at Swansea Crown Court on Monday, March 4th for offences committed under the Cattle Identification (Wales) Regulations 2007; legislation which underpins cattle management, disease control and traceability systems put in place to ensure the safety of the entire farming industry.

All three defendants had previously pleaded guilty to 12 counts on March 25th, 2022.
The court heard that where higher value cattle had tested positive for TB and would be valued for compensation, poorer quality animals would then be sent for slaughter in its place.

This meant that infected animals were kept on the farm with a significant risk of spreading the disease to other animals and jeopardising the success of the TB eradication programme.

Their retention would undoubtedly allow the disease to persist on farm, slowing the progress of eradication within the herd and the general cattle population and increasing costs to the Welsh Government and taxpayer.

The practice would also have resulted in the slaughter of healthy animals not actually infected with TB.
It was also determined that a portion of farm’s milk would have come from TB reactors that should have been removed, which under food safety legislation was banned from entering the food chain.

Where poorer cattle tested positive, evidence showed that they were substituted at valuation for higher value animals, attracting a higher level of compensation – but with the more valuable animals subsequently retained and the lower value TB reactors sent for slaughter.

Each defendant was fined a total of £24,000 – £2,000 for each count on the indictment.

The sentencing reflected the heightened TB risk of reactors remaining on farm, TB lesions present in cattle and a clear risk that misidentified animals could have entered the food chain.

As well as the significant fine, associated action had been taken against the defendants under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA).

This legislation was introduced with the aim of recovering assets, including money, acquired through criminal activity.

The use of POCA is particularly pertinent when it is so manifestly in the public interest to ensure criminal activity is not rewarded.

The criminal benefit arising in connection with the offending would have been derived through a mix of pathways.

This included TB compensation payments, sale of illegal stock, sale of milk from illegally retained stock, as well as the wider benefits gained by the farming enterprise.

The Hartts’ actions enabled a steady and continual expansion of the business, on a stronger financial footing, to the detriment of other farms in a competitive market.

This resulted in confiscation orders of £217,906 against each defendant jointly and severally to reflect the ‘criminal benefit’ associated with the offending.

The court also awarded the Council costs of £94,569.

The case brought by Pembrokeshire County Council followed an in-depth investigation by officers from the Council’s Public Protection Animal Health and Welfare Team, working in conjunction with the Animal and Plant Health Agency veterinary officers and other regulatory partners.

The investigation was triggered following the identification of anomalies at the farm in June 2019.

The subsequent investigations were complex and protracted over the remainder of the year, involving a number of inspections and visits, DNA sampling of milking cows, detailed audit and cross-referencing of farm records, ear tag and freeze brand (markings on the animal) checks, post-mortems and blood samples.

In one instance remarked upon by the Judge, the freeze brand of a milking cow was altered.
It was later discovered that her ear tags had been changed twice. DNA testing later proved that the animal should have previously left the farm.

Of 828 animals checked as part of the investigation, 123 had discrepancies in relation to their origin and identity, equivalent to 15% of the stock.

The extent and nature of the tagging issues and deliberate changes in identity dwarfed anything previously encountered by officers, and highly unlikely to be by error or mistake.
It was subsequently discovered that the farming operation had received TB compensation payments at a level far above most other farms.

The farm was one of only two in Wales to have had TB present for over 20 years. Since 2009 the farm had received more than £3 million in compensation payments, more than any other farm in Wales.

The prosecution maintained that the large scale illegality underpinned the foundations of the entire farming enterprise over a considerable period of time.

In December 2019, Food Standards Agency veterinary officers placed a stop on 19 carcases and associated offal/edible co-products from two lots of cattle sent for slaughter by the farm, that were destined for the human food chain.

This was due to irregularities concerning the identification and origin of certain animals and potential food chain implications.

Following the conclusion of the court case, Cllr Michelle Bateman, Cabinet Member for Housing Operations and Regulatory Services, welcomed the level of sentence.

She said: “This case will have resulted in unnecessary cost and a drain on resources for those involved in the TB eradication programme, including the major use of public money by Welsh Government who fund the implementation of the compensation scheme.
“It also greatly risks the health of neighbouring herds through unnecessary contamination of the environment as well as damaging the farming industry and public confidence in the safety of milk and meat.
“I congratulate our Council officers and all agencies in bringing this case successfully to court. I hope that this action and sentence will send a message that this sort of illegal behaviour will not be tolerated.”

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Farming

Kurtz leads farming protest on the Senedd’s steps

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LOCAL Senedd Member Samuel Kurtz helped lead the largest protest in the history of the Senedd, as thousands of farmers and those from rural Wales descended on Cardiff Bay.

As unrest has grown in farming circles following the publication of the Welsh Labour Government’s consultation on the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS), focus has also been drawn on the failing Bovine TB eradication strategy and the all-Wales Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZs).

These three policies, which are directly the responsibility of the Welsh Labour Government, have caused untold stress, frustration and anger in rural Wales, as hundreds from West Wales made the journey in protest.

A Welsh Labour Government commissioned economic assessment showed that the SFS could see 5,500 jobs lost in rural Wales, with an economic hit of over £199 million.  

Samuel Kurtz, the Senedd Member for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, and Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs, who has long stood against the Welsh Labour Government’s failures, spoke to the protestors from the steps of the Senedd.

Speaking to the protest, Samuel stressed the importance of the rural community, and how the current policies risk both the current and future generations who live in rural Wales.

Following the protest, Samuel added:

“Speaking at the protest outside the Senedd was one of the proudest moments of my life, both as a politician and as a farmer’s son. But it is a sorry state that the Welsh Labour Government have let it get this far.

“The momentum is with the industry now and whomever becomes Wales’ next First Minister, and next Rural Affairs Minister, must work hard on the SFS, NVZs, and Bovine Tb, to repair a broken relationship between government and the agricultural sector.

“Can I thank all those who attended the protest for the respect and order that they showed. It was the largest of its kind and if the message hasn’t got through to the Welsh Government now, I’m not sure it ever will.”

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