Farming

Calls for pause on council farm sales dismissed

Published

7 months ago

October 18, 2024

THE SENEDD narrowly rejected calls to temporarily halt the sale of council-owned farms amid concerns they are disappearing at an alarming rate due to financial constraints.

James Evans led the debate calling on the Welsh Government to impose a Wales-wide temporary ban on the sale of council-owned farms.

He said: “These farms are not just pieces of land, they’re the lifeblood of rural communities. For generations, they have provided opportunities for our young farmers….

“But now, these farms are being sold off at an alarming rate. And the consequences can be devastating, not just for farming, but the way of life in our rural countryside.”

The Conservative said council-owned farms offer young people who are “locked out” of the agricultural sector a chance to get on the farming ladder through affordable tenancies.

“Without them, we risk shutting the door on the next generation,” he warned.

Mr Evans pointed to 2023 statistics showing there are 972 council-owned farms, covering 21,000 hectares – “a huge proportion of our farms across Wales”.

Calling for a moratorium, the shadow rural affairs secretary said: “We need to pause. We need to take a breath and fully assess the long-term impacts of these sales.

“It’s about giving ourselves time to develop a proper, sustainable strategy for the future of farming in Wales.”

Mr Evans, who represents Brecon and Radnorshire, said many of the farms are in Welsh-speaking communities as he raised concerns about risks to the language.

He told the Senedd: “I urge this Welsh Government to act with urgency. We cannot sit back and watch as our council farms disappear one by one.”

Backing the motion, his Plaid Cymru counterpart Llŷr Gruffydd said all parties need to hold their hands up about the issue becoming a “political football”.

He said: “The biggest irony, maybe, is that much of this is being driven as a result of Conservative-led austerity, which has put – [interruption] no, no, no – that’s the irony of the situation but I will desist from making that point.

“Look, they have been left with no other option, many of these councils.”

Mr Gruffydd, who has been calling for a national summit on the future of council farms since 2016, urged the Welsh Government to grasp the nettle.

He said: “Ultimately, yes, the responsibility rests with local authorities but the government can’t wash its hands of the problem.

“These farms are a national asset and there’s a pressing need for leadership.”

Responding to the debate on October 16, Huw Irranca-Davies said council farms are important assets offering an invaluable route into agriculture for young people.

Wales’ rural affairs secretary told the Senedd the 2023 Agriculture Act does not give ministers powers of control over councils to sell land.

Mr Irranca-Davies, who is also deputy first minister in the Welsh Government, said: “The sale of land and decisions about how they approach it is for local authorities.”

He added: “We do not have a statutory basis to intervene in the sell-off of land, so the call for a moratorium is misplaced.”

Senedd members voted 25-22 against the Conservative motion. The motion as amended by the Welsh Government was agreed 25-13 with nine abstaining.

Farming

Lucky escape for cows as livestock trailer overturns on M4

Published

13 hours ago

May 13, 2025

Tom Sinclair

THREE cows had a lucky escape on Monday morning (May 12) after the livestock trailer they were travelling in overturned on the M4 near Pont Abraham.

The incident took place at around 10:38am on the westbound carriageway and involved a pick-up truck towing a livestock box, which flipped onto its side.

Crews from Ammanford and Llanelli fire stations were called to the scene and worked to make the area safe. The animals were successfully transferred into a replacement trailer that was brought in to recover them.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that the cows were unharmed in the incident. The fire crews left the scene at 11:27am.

The overturned trailer caused temporary disruption to traffic while the road was cleared.

Photo caption:

Lucky escape: Fire crews attended the overturned livestock trailer near Pont Abraham on Monday morning (Pic: MWWFRS)

Crime

Llangadog man charged over livestock theft near Llandysul

Published

14 hours ago

May 13, 2025

Tom Sinclair

A LLANGADOG man has been charged in connection with the theft of dozens of sheep from a farm near Llandysul.

Hywel Williams, aged 40, was arrested on March 25 following a report that between 70 and 75 lambing ewes had been stolen from the Rhydlewis area earlier that month.

Following a detailed investigation by Dyfed-Powys Police’s Rural Crime Team, Williams was formally charged with theft on May 10.

He is due to appear at Aberystwyth Magistrates’ Court for a first hearing on Wednesday, May 28.

Sergeant Paul Roberts of the Rural Crime Team said: “The arrest and charge of Hywel Williams demonstrates to our farming communities that all allegations of livestock theft will be fully investigated.

“Legal proceedings are now underway, and it is important that the case is allowed to progress without further public commentary.”

Livestock theft remains a serious issue for rural communities, and Dyfed-Powys Police continues to urge anyone with information relating to rural crime to come forward.

Farming

Welsh farming’s challenges discussed with Shadow Cabinet Secretary

Published

2 days ago

May 12, 2025

Tom Sinclair

EARLIER this week, the Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) met with Welsh Conservatives Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Education and Rural Affairs, Samuel Kurtz MS to discuss the changes and challenges facing Welsh agriculture.

The meeting followed the announcement earlier this month that the Carmarthen West & South Pembrokeshire Senedd Member, had been reappointed as the party’s Rural Affairs spokesperson, having previously held the portfolio between 2021 and 2024.

With a year to go until the Senedd elections, the meeting provided an opportunity to discuss a range of issues facing Welsh agriculture, including the continued impact of bovine TB, the implementation of Nitrate Vulnerable Zone regulations, and the future of the Sustainable Farming Scheme, which is due to be announced later this year.

The meeting also provided an opportunity to discuss the ongoing concerns over the UK Government’s changes to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) outlined in the Autumn Budget.

The FUW’s own analysis suggests as many as 48% of Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) recipients in Wales could be affected by the changes,with the union warning the changes could have devastating impact on family farms and food production.

Commenting following the meeting, FUW President, Ian Rickman said: “We welcomed the opportunity to meet Samuel in the Senedd, and congratulate him on his re-appointment to the Rural Affairs portfolio. Through his farming background, Sam has an in-depth understanding of the sector and the many issues we face, and we look forward to continuing to work closely with him over the coming months.

“At a time when Welsh farmers are facing a perfect storm of changes and challenges, the meeting provided a useful meeting to discuss many of these aspects further – including the NVZs, SFS, and the dark shadow bovine TB continues to cast over the Welsh farming sector.”

Commenting, Samuel Kurtz MS added: “Our farmers are the backbone of our communities. They don’t just produce our food, they support our rural economy, uphold Welsh culture, and care for our countryside. I will always stand up for farmers across Wales and continue to fight for a future in which agriculture can thrive.

“I have been consistent that farming needs a friend, and I will continue to be that friend to farming in Wales.”