Farmer falls foul of common land rule change
A livestock movement rule change, which led to a Welsh sheep farmer being penalised when his animals crossed an invisible boundary line on his farm, will not be reversed.
The Welsh government insisted that Arthur Roberts should have reported the movement of animals on his Denbighshire farm. The land in question is his own farm and other fields registered as common land but which are farmed solely by him.
A policy change by the Welsh government means these two pieces of land are now regarded as separate holdings.
The Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) is urging farmers with areas of sole grazed common land to register links between their holdings and land known as CL99.
The union says the Welsh government failed to notify the farming industry of this change in policy.
CL99s were previously treated as part of the farm holding and there was no requirement to report or record animal movements between registered and unregistered fields.
“I could not believe it when we were penalised for a change in policy which meant we should have been sat in the field day and night recording the tag numbers of animals as they wondered across an invisible boundary, and reporting these movements to the authorities.”
Arthur Roberts
Mr Roberts, a former FUW county chairman, said the policy change made no sense. Part of his farm at Hafodty Bach, Pentrefoelas is registered as common land for historical reasons only. “None of it is shared grazing and the land in question is just a stone’s throw from the farmhouse,” he said.
“I could not believe it when we were penalised for a change in policy which meant we should have been sat in the field day and night recording the tag numbers of animals as they wondered across an invisible boundary, and reporting these movements to the authorities.”
He said the rule change would mean more paperwork and a risk of penalties.
FUW agricultural policy director Nick Fenwick said the change went against the Welsh government’s policy of reducing paperwork.
“We have made numerous representations to the Welsh government since March but they are adamant that they will not reverse the policy,” he said. “We are currently seeking legal advice and have asked for an urgent meeting with the chief vet, but in the meantime farmers should register links with all common land which forms part of their holding.”
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