It is that time of year where we all come together at our agricultural shows to catch up, showcase exceptional stock, enjoy a festival vibe and drink lots of tea and coffee! That’s definitely the case unless you’re a show organiser, official or volunteer. The work and effort that the volunteer teams put in during the months leading up to these events in preparation for the big day is nothing short of extraordinary. Without the hours of organising, committee meetings and hard graft, these important events in Wales’ agricultural calendar would not see the light of day. We are completely indebted to these community champions for their commitment, diolch bawb!
This past week saw the two day Anglesey County Show which was followed swiftly by the Pembrokeshire County Show and the week was closed at the Denbigh and Flint Show which was held on Thursday, the 15th of August. In addition we also had the Wales National Sheepdog trials at Ystrad Meurig and numerous other local shows dotted across the length and breadth of Cymru fach. What a vibrant picture of agriculture in Wales!
Our FUW teams pulled out all the stops to welcome members, friends and supporters to our stands during the week. The shows saw us engaging with numerous elected representatives, including the new First Minister, Eluned Morgan, who attended her first meeting in her new role with us at the Pembrokeshire Showground. She and her cabinet team have vowed to listen to the public and stakeholders over the summer months with the aim of putting together a set of priorities for the people of Wales during the autumn. As you know, at the FUW we take every opportunity to engage with the Welsh Government to ensure that we relay the concerns of the agricultural community to those who have the power to make a difference to our lives. Let’s see whether they have listened to us come the autumn.
Last week we also heard from the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, that the Bovine TB Eradication Programme Board has now been established. The news completes the full structure now in place following the formation of the Bovine TB Technical Advisory Group earlier this year. We welcome this development but many of our members are repeatedly telling us that this issue needs to be tackled with much more urgency since so many farms continue to struggle with the aftermath of this harrowing disease.
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In 2022, FUW analysis estimated that the total cost of bovine TB pre-movement testing borne by cattle keepers in Wales was more than £2.3 million. A staggering 11,197 animals were slaughtered in the 12 months up to March 2024. Despite this we still see little or no improvement in terms of the prevalence of the disease.
As the Welsh Government continues to try and grapple with the scourge of TB in cattle, the lack of leadership in dealing with this disease in wildlife continues. Evidence from the first 52 badger cull areas in England show that rates of bovine TB breakdowns in cattle are down by 56per cent on average after four years of culling. Farmers, as ambassadors of the countryside, want to see healthy and thriving wildlife populations here in Wales but allowing diseased wild animals to die lingering deaths from TB is not a great advert for those concerned with animal welfare.
There is little doubt that dealing with the bureaucracy involved with disease control in livestock, the challenges and uncertainties of the Sustainable Farming Scheme and the continuing shadow on the sector of the Control of Agricultural Pollution regulations on our farms is another reason to come together over a cup of tea at the summer shows. There’s definitely strength in unity and sharing your hopes and concerns at these wonderful community events.