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| Farmers plead for snow emergency aid to Welsh government | Farmers plead for snow emergency aid to Welsh government |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Farming minister Alun Davies will hear calls later for emergency aid for farmers after the heavy snow that has hit north and mid Wales. | Farming minister Alun Davies will hear calls later for emergency aid for farmers after the heavy snow that has hit north and mid Wales. |
| Farmers have been struggling to look after their stock with reports of hundreds of lambs lost. | Farmers have been struggling to look after their stock with reports of hundreds of lambs lost. |
| Mr Davies, the minister for natural resources and food, relaxed strict laws on disposing of animals for seven days. | Mr Davies, the minister for natural resources and food, relaxed strict laws on disposing of animals for seven days. |
| Sustainability committee chair Lord Elis-Thomas has called for an inquiry into the weather's effect on farming. | Sustainability committee chair Lord Elis-Thomas has called for an inquiry into the weather's effect on farming. |
| Mr Davies, who will meet members of the National Farmers' Union (NFU) Cymru in Powys later, has allowed animal burials on farms in some areas of the country for seven days after parts of Wales were hit by huge snow drifts. | Mr Davies, who will meet members of the National Farmers' Union (NFU) Cymru in Powys later, has allowed animal burials on farms in some areas of the country for seven days after parts of Wales were hit by huge snow drifts. |
| That decision will be reviewed at the end of the seven-day period. | That decision will be reviewed at the end of the seven-day period. |
| Around the clock | Around the clock |
| The minister has so far rejected calls for financial compensation for farmers who have been affected. | The minister has so far rejected calls for financial compensation for farmers who have been affected. |
| But NFU Cymru said many members are struggling in the wake of the coldest March for 50 years. Many sheds have collapsed under the weight of the snow and significant numbers of sheep have been buried. | But NFU Cymru said many members are struggling in the wake of the coldest March for 50 years. Many sheds have collapsed under the weight of the snow and significant numbers of sheep have been buried. |
| Union president Ed Bailey said he appreciated the minister meeting members at a farm near Llanidloes to learn first hand the impact the snow was having on their businesses. | Union president Ed Bailey said he appreciated the minister meeting members at a farm near Llanidloes to learn first hand the impact the snow was having on their businesses. |
| "Farmers have been working around the clock to look after and care for their stock, bringing them down to lower ground where possible and doing whatever they can to ensure they have adequate feed and fodder available to them," he said. | "Farmers have been working around the clock to look after and care for their stock, bringing them down to lower ground where possible and doing whatever they can to ensure they have adequate feed and fodder available to them," he said. |
| With drifts reported to be tens of feet deep on some hills in north Wales, Mr Bailey said it was of little surprise that they were hearing of huge losses on many farms. | With drifts reported to be tens of feet deep on some hills in north Wales, Mr Bailey said it was of little surprise that they were hearing of huge losses on many farms. |
| Viability | Viability |
| The union leader said they had already raised issues of fallen stock, shortage of fodder and the price of buying additional feed but he feared the cost of animals losses could be enough to drive some farmers out of business. | The union leader said they had already raised issues of fallen stock, shortage of fodder and the price of buying additional feed but he feared the cost of animals losses could be enough to drive some farmers out of business. |
| "The meeting on Thursday will be an opportunity to raise with the minister the need of emergency aid for affected farmers in the immediate aftermath of this severe weather and to explore how the longer term impact can be managed to ensure the viability of livestock farming in the hills and uplands of Wales," he said. | "The meeting on Thursday will be an opportunity to raise with the minister the need of emergency aid for affected farmers in the immediate aftermath of this severe weather and to explore how the longer term impact can be managed to ensure the viability of livestock farming in the hills and uplands of Wales," he said. |
| Gwyn Howells, chief executive of Meat Promotion Wales, told BBC Radio 4's Farming Today he expected to see a reduced number of Welsh lambs going to market this year. | |
| "Mother Nature has dealt a very cruel card at a very wrong time with lambing season either starting or just about to start," he said. | |
| "The cost of this storm cannot be quantified as yet but will be very significant." | |
| However, Mr Howells said he did not expect it to affect prices to customers with so many animals in the food chain - about 4.5m breeding ewes in Wales and 15m in Great Britain. | |
| Meanwhile, Lord Elis-Thomas, who chairs the assembly environment and sustainability committee, has called for an inquiry into the effects of the extreme weather on Welsh farming and for long-term solutions on how to support the agricultural businesses affected. | Meanwhile, Lord Elis-Thomas, who chairs the assembly environment and sustainability committee, has called for an inquiry into the effects of the extreme weather on Welsh farming and for long-term solutions on how to support the agricultural businesses affected. |
| "It is my intention to ask my fellow committee members to hold an inquiry not only into the short-term effects of the crisis, but to also consider the longer-term impact on the agricultural businesses that are affected," said the Plaid Cymru AM. | "It is my intention to ask my fellow committee members to hold an inquiry not only into the short-term effects of the crisis, but to also consider the longer-term impact on the agricultural businesses that are affected," said the Plaid Cymru AM. |
| "I would also like the committee to consider the effects of 'unseasonal' extreme weather in the context of probable climate change on the pattern of upland farming in future, especially during the lambing season, and the resilience of the practice of rearing Welsh lamb in the open air." | "I would also like the committee to consider the effects of 'unseasonal' extreme weather in the context of probable climate change on the pattern of upland farming in future, especially during the lambing season, and the resilience of the practice of rearing Welsh lamb in the open air." |