The Welsh Government has announced that it will apply a seven-day derogation on the removal of animal carcasses for livestock farmers who have been worst affected by the recent extreme cold weather.
Having experienced the coldest March for fifty years, with severe snow storms covering swathes of Mid and North Wales, the Minister for Natural Resources and Food, Alun Davies AM, said the temporary derogation will take place from one minute after midnight on 3rd April and will apply for a period of seven days. After the week expires, the procedure will be reviewed to determine whether it should be closed or extended.
Under EU rules, livestock farmers must ensure the safe disposal of fallen stock to safeguard both public and animal health. However, in some of the worst affect areas of Mid Wales, farmers have been struggling to safely dispose of their fallen stock as carcass collectors have been unable to reach some farms due to heavy snow fall.
While the Welsh Government does not have far-reaching powers to halt regulations completely, it does have the power to allow farm burial in emergency circumstances and that is what it has evoked, providing farmers can prove that collectors cannot reach their farms.
Mr Davies has also agreed to meet with the National Farmers Union in Montgomeryshire this week (4th April) to discuss the severe difficulties Welsh Livestock farmers are facing as a result of the extreme weather that has hit many parts of the country.
Montgomeryshire Assembly Member, Russell George, has welcomed the derogation but feels that Welsh Government should have acted sooner to relieve the pressure on Welsh hill farmers struggling to maintain their livelihoods.
Commenting, Mr George said:
"I welcome the Minister’s announcement as I believe it is right and sensible to grant a derogation in these exceptional circumstances to allow farmers to deal with fallen stock in an efficient and practical manner.
"However, I do think the Government has been slow off the mark in dealing with this crisis and should have introduced measures to ease the burden on struggling farmers last week, when it was clear the weather was taking its toll.
"Many sheds have collapsed under the weight of the snow and significant numbers of sheep have been buried by snow drifts, leading to an extremely distressing time for farmers in affected areas.
"I am pleased the Minister is coming to Montgomeryshire this week to meet with the NFU so he can see at first-hand the extreme conditions that hill farmers have been working in.
"I also hope he will be in a position to announce further measures to aid affected farmers in the immediate aftermath of this severe weather."