Farming

Mid and South Pembrokeshire MP hopefuls quizzed on farming

Published

2 years ago

July 1, 2024

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

AHEAD of the July 4 general election, Mid and South Pembrokeshire general election hopefuls have outlined what they will do the support farming and the countryside.

As part of constituency changes, bits of north Pembrokeshire – including St Davids and– are joining the new Mid and South Pembrokeshire constituency.

Mid and South Pembrokeshire covers Letterston, Solva and St Davids down to Hundleton and Tenby, stretching eastwards to Amroth, Narberth and Lampeter Velfrey.

Other parts of the north of the county are now in the new Ceredigion Preseli constituency; which extends up past Aberystwyth and also includes Cilgerran, Crymych, St Dogmaels, Fishguard and Llanrhian.

There’s now a 15-candidate battle for the two seats, eight in Mid and South Pembrokeshire and seven in Ceredigion Preseli.

With a July 4 date set for the general election, the currently declared candidates for Mid and South Pembrokeshire are: Hanna Andersen (Women’s Equality Party); Alistair Cameron (Welsh Liberal Democrats); Stephen Crabb (Welsh Conservative); Stuart Marchant (Reform UK); James Purchase (Green Party); Vusi Siphika (Independent); Cris Tomos (Plaid Cymru); and Henry Tufnell (Welsh Labour).

Liberal Democrat candidate Alistair Cameron said: “Our farmers have a key role in ensuring that everyone can get affordable, healthy and nutritious food produced to high welfare and environmental standards. We must ensure that all imported food meets UK standards for health and welfare, and that goods are properly checked.

“Liberal Democrats would renegotiate the Australia and New Zealand trade agreements in line with our objectives for health, environmental and animal welfare standards, withdrawing from them if that cannot be achieved.

“I am pleased the Welsh Government is reviewing its proposed farm payment scheme as we need a fairer scheme.

“As a county councillor, I want to ensure that our planning policies safeguard and preserve our beautiful Pembrokeshire countryside whilst at the same time enabling people to make a decent living sustainably. “

Green Party candidate James Purchase said: “The Green Party will push for the financial support for farmers to be almost tripled. These payments will be linked to the reduction of pesticides and various agro-chemicals.

“It’s our food system that’s failing us – not farmers. Farmers must be fully supported in their transition to nature friendly farming – not shamed and blamed. Remember: land owners are not necessarily farmers. Poor diets are estimated to cost the NHS £6.5 billion a year and successive governments have failed to take on the unhealthy food lobby. I lived and worked on a large farm in Pembs for 20 yrs and, though not a farmer, witnessed the radical changes that had to be made to survive. The Green Party will work with farmers and other stakeholders to transform our food and farming systems.”

Hanna Andersen said: “The deep cuts to our public services mean that swathes of rural areas have lost local access care.

“I will champion local services which are accessible to all, are run for the needs of the communities they serve and are inclusive to everyone. This means working with rural communities in particular to ensure they have access to the care they need.

“I am also committed to working with farming communities to facilitate a fair and just transition to climate friendly farming, prioritising food security for local people.”

Labour candidate Henry Tufnell said: “I come from a farming family, and it was an integral part of my life growing up. A key priority for me therefore is to facilitate that positive working relationship between the rural community and the Welsh Government.

“Furthermore, the farming community in Pembrokeshire needs a government in Westminster that recognises food security is national security, extends the new veterinary agreement to cover all the UK thereby removing export barriers, harnesses our diplomatic and trade networks to champion Welsh farming whilst protecting the environment, and sets a target for half of all food purchased across the public sector to be locally produced or certified to higher environmental standards.”

Conservative candidate Stephen Crabb said: “Farming is the backbone of the Pembrokeshire economy. When Pembrokeshire farming is doing well, our whole county does well.

“I am clear that food production must remain at the heart of agricultural policy, and I opposed Welsh Labour’s plans for removing 10 per cent of agricultural land for tree planting. I have a strong track record of standing up for Pembrokeshire’s farming community, fighting for fairer milk prices and a strong Supermarket Ombudsman to get a better deal for farmers.

“I will continue to challenge Welsh Labour’s failure to tackle Bovine TB which is causing high levels of stress and anxiety to farmers. I will also continue to campaign for lower fuel taxes, more affordable housing for Pembrokeshire people, and better rural transport connections.”

Reform’s Stuart Marchant said: “It seems to me that our farmers have been let down and are continually being let down. The Senedd is responsible for farming within Wales but in my view they are not held to account properly. I would expect to be the voice of my constituents and I would not be afraid to hold the Senedd to account vocally.

“Reform UK are also the only party that promises to increase the UK’s farming budget to £3 billion. Money that would then be issued by the Senedd within Wales but I would expect to closely monitor.

“I am also a believer in transport links. Our constituency is not well served by rail or road and I would expect to voice frequent and often calls for vast improvements to our rail links and roads.”

Independent Vusi Siphika said: “Farming and agriculture is an agenda with many intricacies. The government needs to stop dismantling farmland hectare by hectare, placing conditions on subsidies and trust farmers to do what they know – feed the nation!

“Mechanisms need to be put in place to ensure our farmers get paid a fairer price. Supermarkets need to pay our farmers more.

“Farmer poverty is a reality which must end. Farmers need government support to find modern solutions of farming that can still maintain levels of yield in production but protect the very land they work for generations to come.”

Plaid Cymru candidate Cris Tomos said: “Plaid Cymru is on the side of Welsh farming as the sector has faced serious challenges from both the Conservatives in Westminster, and Labour in Cardiff. Years of Tory economic chaos has contributed to huge rises in farm input costs and Westminster’s post-Brexit trade deals have allowed more cheap imports to undermine domestic markets.

“The Tories promised ‘not a penny less’ in farm funding to Wales, yet we have been left hundreds of millions of pounds worse off due to this broken promise. £243m is the estimate.

“I believe Wales should have a veto over future trade deals that undermine Welsh agricultural communities. I also opposed Labour’s Sustainable Farming Scheme in the Senedd, which called for 10% tree cover on all farms.”

Farming

Surplus lambs thrive on cold milk feeding, university trial finds

Published

24 hours ago

February 14, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Harper Adams study shows strong growth rates and smooth weaning at 35 days

A TRIAL carried out in 2025 at Harper Adams University has found that surplus lambs can achieve strong daily growth rates when fed milk replacer mixed and delivered cold from eight days of age.

The study, using Lamlac ewe milk replacer, recorded an average weaning weight of 15kg at 35 days of age. Individual lamb weights ranged from 10kg to 19kg, while average daily liveweight gain up to weaning reached 332g per day.

Dr Jessica Cooke, speaking on behalf of Lamlac, said feeding ewe milk replacer cold should be considered a proven and practical technique for producers managing surplus lambs during busy lambing periods.

“Feeding cold milk provides a simple, time-efficient and practical method of rearing surplus lambs on farm, particularly where warm water is not readily available or when lambs of different ages require milk at a consistent temperature,” she said.

“With good attention to detail and suitable environmental conditions, lambs can successfully maintain strong daily growth rates when reared on Lamlac mixed and fed cold from week one. It also reduces labour input compared with preparing and feeding warm milk.”

Colostrum and early management

The trial involved twenty-three Lleyn x Aberblack/Charolais lambs. All were left with the ewe for twenty-four hours to receive colostrum naturally, or were fed colostrum artificially where required.

After the first day, lambs were placed in a training pen and fed warm Lamlac ad-libitum through an Ewe-2 feeder. The milk replacer was mixed at a rate of 200g powder to 800ml of water.

From day eight, lambs were moved to a larger pen where Lamlac was mixed and delivered cold at 10°C using two Ewe-2 feeders.

Fresh creep feed and straw were introduced from day seven to support rumen development and help minimise digestive upset around weaning.

Weaning targets met

Lambs were weaned abruptly at 35 days of age. The target was a minimum bodyweight of 10kg and a daily intake of 250g of solid feed.

Dr Cooke said the findings demonstrate the flexibility available to producers.

“After following recommended rearing practices during the first week of life, feeding lambs cold ad-lib milk offers a straightforward, practical and highly cost-effective method of rearing surplus offspring, particularly where warm water or additional labour are limited.

“However, it is vital that producers use a high-quality milk replacer to ensure good mixing quality and avoid potential problems.”

The trial results suggest cold milk feeding can provide an effective and labour-saving alternative for sheep farmers seeking consistent growth performance in surplus lambs.

Business

Redevelopment plans at Clunderwen dairy farm approved

Published

1 day ago

February 13, 2026

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

PLANS for new livestock buildings at a Pembrokeshire dairy farm, aimed at “improved animal husbandry” will not lead to an increase in herd size, councillors heard.

In an application recommended for approval at the February meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee, Mr Roblin of Clynderwen Farm, Clunderwen, sought permission for two livestock building at the 210-hectare dairy farm of 280 cows and 235 head of young stock.

A report for members said each livestock accommodation building would have a length of 77 m, a width of 33m, an eaves height of 3.6m and a ridge height of 8.9m.

Both buildings would be parallel to each other and would cover a footprint of 5,082sqm (2,541sqm each). The proposal includes a total of 308 cubicles, loafing and feed areas, with a central feed passage in the middle.

It said the buildings at the site, some 200 metres from the nearby Redhill school and just over a kilometre from Clunderwen, would sit a little lower than those already on site, and the proposals would not lead to any increase in herd size.

Speaking at the meeting, agent Gethin Beynon said the scheme would lead to “improved animal husbandry to serve the existing milking herd and to support the next farming generation”.

He told members the application was accompanied by environmental enhancements and screening, with no objections from members of the public or any statutory bodies.

Mr Beynon went on to say the herd was currently housed in historic farm site buildings that “fall short of current standards,” with a farm move towards Holstein cattle which need more space.

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“It will improve animal husbandry and efficiencies in what is currently a challenging market,” he concluded.

Approval was moved by Cllr Alan Dennison, seconded by Cllr Brian Hall, and unanimously backed by committee members.

Farming

Housing restriction at Hayscastle farm site removed

Published

2 days ago

February 13, 2026

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A CALL to remove an agriculture condition imposed back in 1989 on a Pembrokeshire farm site which is said to be “economically unviable” as a farm has been given the go-ahead.

In an application recommended for approval at the February meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee, Rosalyn Jayne Evans sought permission for the removal of an agricultural worker-only condition for residence at Upper Hayscastle Farm, Hayscastle, near Haverfordwest.

The original condition was imposed as part of a 1989-approved planning application.

A report for members said the land, some 26.3 hectares,” is, following independent valuation, not considered to be an ‘economically viable unit in its own right’.”

“The report author contends this was also likely to have been the case at the time when [the 1988 scheme] was originally granted as no housing for livestock, crop or slurry storage was provided as part of the original consent or since the approval.

“The report also states that whilst the land is productive for uses such as grazing and crops, the lack of building(s) would restrict the economic viability of Dolfach as a separate agricultural holding.

“If investment were to now be made at the holding in relation to dairy or beef farming, the report contends that this would be economically unviable, due to the holding at Dolfach being unable to support a sufficient number of animals to produce the financial return required to sustain the business. The report also highlights that building(s) for livestock would be essential in relation to the prevalence of Bovine TB in the locality.”

It added: “It is considered that the information provided by JJ Morris is sufficient to indicate that the scale of the land holding and the lack of infrastructure would make a farming enterprise at the site an economically unviable proposition.”

It recommended “the existing Section 52 agreement be discharged to remove the requirement for the dwelling to be tied to the land in agriculture at Upper Hayscastle Farm and for the dwelling to be occupied by a person solely or mainly employed before retirement in agriculture”.

The recommendation of approval was moved by Cllr Brian Hall and unanimously backed by committee members.