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Farming

FUW calls for halt to badger jab

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On the rise: Cattle culling numbers up last year

On the rise: Cattle culling numbers up last year

THE FARMERS’ UNION OF WALES has repeated its long standing call for a science led policy to control TB in wildlife after the Welsh Government suggested the abandoned badger vaccination pilot in north Pembrokeshire could restart in 2017.

Ministerial advice provided to the Welsh Government in 2012 suggested vaccination in the north Pembrokeshire Intensive Action Area (IAA) could cost Welsh farmers and the taxpayer an additional £3.5m compared with a badger cull.

“The results after four years of badger vaccination in the IAA appear to support the original assessment that vaccination would cost farmers and the taxpayers millions and save the lives of far fewer cattle than badger culling would have done,” said FUW Deputy President and north Pembrokeshire farmer Brian Thomas.

“Based upon trials in other areas, we could have expected a thirty or forty percent reduction in cattle herd TB incidences by now, had the original plan to cull badgers gone ahead. Instead, matters in the area are no different to other comparable areas where badger vaccination has not taken place.”

Mr Thomas was speaking after attending a Welsh Government briefing session where the results of Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) modelling of badger vaccination strategies were presented.

“A key focus of the modelling work carried out and the subsequent statement made by Welsh Government indicates a possible return to badger vaccination in 2017. In our view that would mean returning to a pointless and costly exercise which has yet to show any positive impacts, whereas badger culling as originally planned would already have resulted in significant reductions in TB incidences.”

Mr Thomas said there was also no guarantee that the BCG vaccine used on badgers would be available by 2017.

“There is currently a global shortage of BCG vaccine, and given that one badger dose can vaccinate twenty infants in regions where human TB is a huge problem, such as Africa, it would be immoral to deplete global vaccine stocks by vaccinating badgers.”

The average cost of vaccinating each badger caught in the north Pembrokeshire Intensive Action Area has been around £700.

“In the 12 months to the end of September 2015 the number of cattle culled in Wales due to TB was 7,380, an increase of 25 percent on the equivalent period to September 2014.

“That’s an equivalent to 20 cattle culled every day of the week.”

Mr Thomas said farmers were doing their part in terms of controlling the disease, and accepted that cattle which represent a risk need to be destroyed.

“Welsh Ministers need to recognise that other animals which represent a risk should also be controlled, and that to avoid the issue by spending millions on vaccinating badgers will simply make matters worse in the long run.”

Mr Thomas’s words appear to have added force following the announcement by the Welsh Government that the effectiveness and integrity of the vaccination scheme would be unaffected by its suspension for the fifth year of its five-year duration.

Following the decision to suspend sourcing the vaccine due to a global shortage, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) was commissioned to identify the likely impact the non-availability of Badger-BCG in 2016 would have on the vaccination project within the Intensive Action Area (IAA) in West Wales.

The report concludes that despite not being able to complete the fifth and final year, four years of badger vaccination would achieve a reduction in prevalence of TB in badgers in the IAA. APHA modelling showed that vaccinating for four years, missing year five, and returning to vaccinate in year six is not different from vaccinating for five consecutive years.

The Deputy Minister said: “I am grateful to APHA for completing the modelling work so swiftly and to landowners within the IAA for their continued co-operation.

“The modelling APHA carried out suggests that a gap of one year after year four is no different from vaccinating repeatedly for 5 years.

“We will continue to engage with the agriculture industry, wider rural communities, veterinary profession, Eradication Boards, and the Industry Advisory Group in the Intensive Action Area.

“We will also continue to evaluate the impact of all interventions within the IAA, including vaccination, cattle surveillance and controls and the enhanced biosecurity measures.”

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Farming

Farming funding fears as Welsh government warns of major cuts

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A CHANGE in the UK government’s approach to funding for Welsh agriculture has sparked serious concerns, with First Minister Eluned Morgan warning that the shift could see Wales lose nearly £150m a year in farm support.

Concerned for farmers: First Minister Eluned Morgan MS

The Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) has cautioned that the funding formula change could amount to a cut of more than 40%, raising alarm across the industry. The UK government has decided to stop ring-fencing farm support, meaning future allocations will be absorbed into the general funding provided to the Welsh government.

Morgan, addressing MPs at Westminster’s Welsh Affairs Committee, said the move was “a huge concern” and argued that it fails to reflect the higher proportion of farmers in Wales compared to other parts of the UK.

Funding shake-up

The change, first announced in last October’s UK Budget, will see farm funding calculated under the Barnett formula, which determines the Welsh government’s overall budget. Under Barnett, Wales receives around 5% of spending increases in England for devolved matters like health and education, but agricultural leaders argue that this method does not take into account the unique demands of Welsh farming.

Morgan, leader of Welsh Labour, told the committee: “If you just do a Barnett consequential, you’re talking about a 5% [increase], whereas, actually, when it comes to agriculture we should be significantly higher than that.

“It is a huge concern that this has been changed.”

Political pressure mounts

Plaid Cymru’s Westminster agriculture spokesperson Ann Davies said the UK government had failed to provide clarity on how Wales’ higher proportion of farmers would be considered under the new system.

“The Labour first minister now expressing concerns only reinforces the urgency of this issue,” she said. “The UK government must guarantee that Welsh agriculture will not lose out in the future.”

A UK government spokesperson defended the changes, saying: “The Budget provided the Welsh government with a record £21bn settlement, and it receives over 20% more funding per person than equivalent UK government spending.

“It is for the Welsh government to allocate this across its devolved responsibilities, which include agriculture, to deliver on the priorities of people in Wales and support the Welsh rural economy.”

Wider economic worries

During the committee session, Morgan also raised concerns over potential new tariffs on steel imposed by former US President Donald Trump. The proposed 25% import tariff could threaten Welsh steel exports, with the first minister revealing she had already discussed the issue with Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

“I’m sure we are all very concerned to see what President Trump is suggesting in terms of steel tariffs, and we don’t know where that is going to end,” Morgan said.

The first minister is later due to attend a dinner at Windsor Castle hosted by the King, alongside UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and the first ministers of Scotland and Northern Ireland.

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Crime

Warning of heavy fines for farms as six Romanians found working at dairy farm

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ILLEGAL WORKERS DISCOVERED IN MID WALES RAID

A DAIRY FARM in Llangedwyn, Powys, faces heavy fines after immigration officers arrested six Romanian workers found working illegally during a dawn raid on January 28. The business owners could now be fined up to £60,000 per worker and face a possible prison sentence if found guilty of failing to carry out proper employment checks.

The arrests come as part of a major crackdown on illegal working across Wales and the West of England. Home Office Immigration Enforcement teams carried out 121 visits last month, resulting in 101 arrests—more than double the number recorded in January 2024.

Tougher action against illegal working

Officials say enforcement activity has reached record levels, with 609 arrests made nationwide in January—an increase of 73 per cent compared to the same period last year.

Eddy Montgomery, Director of Enforcement, Compliance & Crime, said:

“Despite many premises in the region being in rural locations, these numbers show there is no hiding place from the law. We will come after any business that thinks it can exploit illegal workers for its own gain.”

Since last summer, both illegal working visits and arrests have risen by 38 per cent, with the Home Office issuing 1,090 civil penalty notices to businesses hiring illegal workers.

New law to target people smugglers

The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, set to be debated in Parliament today, will give law enforcement new powers to target people-smuggling gangs and disrupt illegal migration. The legislation will allow officers to search electronic devices for evidence of organised crime.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “For far too long, employers have been able to take on and exploit illegal migrants with little to no enforcement. Not only does this create a dangerous draw for people to risk their lives crossing the Channel in small boats, but it results in the abuse of vulnerable people and undermines our economy.

“That’s why we are boosting enforcement to record levels alongside tough new legislation to crack down on the criminal gangs that profit from illegal migration.”

Record removals of illegal migrants

Alongside the crackdown on illegal working, the Home Office says it is stepping up deportations of those with no legal right to remain in the UK. Since the election, 16,400 people have been removed, including criminals convicted of drug offences, theft, rape, and murder.

Bespoke charter flights have returned over 800 immigration offenders to their countries of origin, marking the highest removals since 2018.

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Farming

Pembrokeshire Farmer Mansel Raymond Elected Chair of CARAS Cymru

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PEMBROKESHIRE farmer Mansel Raymond MBE FRAgS has been elected as the new Chair of CARAS Cymru, the prestigious Council for Awards of Royal Agricultural Societies, following his unanimous election by the CARAS Cymru Council in January.

He will serve a two-year term, succeeding Janet Phillips FRAgS, who stepped down after a distinguished tenure as Chair.

CARAS is a highly regarded awarding body that recognises individual who have made exceptional contributions to agricultural and rural progress across the UK. With national panels representing each of the four UK nations, CARAS Cymru plays a key role in celebrating and honouring the achievements of individuals in Welsh agriculture.

Mansel Raymond, a well-respected figure in the agricultural community, leads a family partnership in Pembrokeshire alongside his brother, their wives, and sons.

Over the years, he has held numerous high-level positions across the agricultural industry, including President of Copa Cogeca Milk Board, past Director of First Milk, European Milk Chairman, and Chairman of the NFU’s Milk Board. He has also served as Pembrokeshire County Chairman for NFU Cymru and as past President of the Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society.

In response to his election, Mansel said, “It is a huge honour to take on the role of Chair of CARAS Cymru. I’m deeply proud to be involved with an organisation that recognises the remarkable individuals who shape our agricultural industry.”

He added, “I also want to extend my gratitude to Janet Phillips for her exemplary leadership during her tenure as Chair. Her contributions have been invaluable, and I hope to build upon the strong foundation she leaves behind.”

Mansel will be joined by Malcolm Thomas MBE FRAgS, who has been elected as the new Vice Chairman of CARAS Cymru. Malcolm, from Llangynog in Carmarthenshire, brings a wealth of experience, having had a long and distinguished career in agriculture. He is a former Director of NFU Cymru and has served as a trustee of various charities and organisations throughout his career.

Both Mansel and Malcolm are committed to furthering CARAS Cymru’s ambition to recognise and honour outstanding achievements within agriculture, rural life, and the wider rural economy

Malcolm Thomas MBE FRAgS Vice-Chair CARAS Cymru
Malcolm Thomas MBE FRAgS Vice-Chair CARAS Cymru
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