Sting in the tail!

The national referendum last June determined ‘out.’ The Government is resigned to Brexit. For most of the UK the EU is dead but, seemingly, it will not lie down.

But for 80 per cent of the farming community in Pembrokeshire and, possibly, parts of every county in Wales there is the sting in the tail.

Implementing the EU diktat, the Welsh Government is committed to pressing ahead with the introduction of nitrate vulnerable zones which, locally, would include the whole of the Western and Eastern Cleddau river catchment areas.

In line with the EC Nitrates Directive, Welsh Government is still required to assess and designate areas as Nitrate Vulnerable Zones and produce an Action Programme of Measures to reduce levels of nitrogen every four years. As part of this review process, Cardiff are considering whether to significantly extend NVZ designations in Pembrokeshire.

The farming unions are very much opposed to this proposed designation and have agreed firm and robust responses to the consultation process, as well as thoroughly scrutinising the evidence base underpinning the recommendation to designate - including the methodology, and the technical and scientific aspects which have already been undertaken by Natural Resources Wales.

January sees the end of the closed period for some holdings within an NVZ. Here is a reminder about the rules which should be observed from the end of the closed period if manure with high readily available nitrogen is going to be applied.

Legislation will determine when and what farm yard manure may be spread on various types of farm land, the type of precision equipment that must be used, the spreading trajectory above the ground and the rate of application.

The issue of additional NVZ designations in Pembrokeshire is a particularly sensitive one, especially with the scale of the proposed designation - up to 2,000 farms could fall into the proposed area - and the actual impact that it is likely to have on businesses within the designated area is quite alarming.

It was made that much more sensitive following the National Assembly elections last May and the fact that the Nitrates Directive is a piece of EU legislation.

In terms of what farmers can do, then unions would very much encourage every individual farmer to respond to the Welsh Government’s consultation on every new NVZ designation when that is published, outlining the potential impact that the designation will have on each particular business and the wider rural economy.

Secondly, those involved are urged to write to their elected Assembly members, and also the four non-elected members serving West Wales, to stand any chance of resisting the new NVZ designation.

Meetings have already been widely held across West Wales, the outcome of which is that AMs of all parties must be made well aware of the strength of feeling that exists amongst farmers on this particular issue.

Be constantly aware

Figures published last week claim that as many as half of the injuries reported in the UK workplace occur on our farms.

Even worse, in agriculture has one of the highest fatal injury rates of any industry but is the only high-risk industry that has to deal with the constant presence of children.

Farms are homes as well as workplaces, and visitors, including children, may also be present on farms - children and young people up to the age of 18 are regularly killed and injured on farms, either because they are working on the farm or because they are playing there.

The ways in which children are killed varies little from year to year. The most common causes of death and major injury in the last decade were: falling from vehicles., being struck by moving vehicles or objects, contact with machinery, driving vehicles, falls from height, drowning and asphyxiation, poisoning, fire and contact with animals.

The children who died were: being carried as passengers on agricultural plant and machinery, not under proper adult supervision, working/helping around the farm, playing unsupervised or trespassing.

Remember that, although parents are responsible for preventing their children straying or trespassing into areas where they may be at risk, all adults working in agriculture - employers, employees, contractors, or other visiting workers - must take responsibility for child safety.

You can become blind to risks you see every day. There can be risks to children that aren’t risks to adults, such as an old gate left propped against a wall. You should also look at the fixed hazards in your farmyard, outbuildings and stores. These will include, for example, hung and freestanding gates, fixed and portable ladders, sheep-dip baths, slurry lagoons, grain silos, feed stores, propped machinery, machinery being maintained, cattle crushes, loft storage areas, silage clamps, barns, cattle stalls and glasshouses.

Country roads

Thomas Price, the NFU’s farm safety and transport adviser, poses the question: “Which are safer, motorways or rural roads?” - would it surprise you to know that statistically rural roads are more dangerous to drive on than motorways?

Rural roads carry 40 per cent of all road traffic, but they account for 62 per cent of all road fatalities. This means that on average three people die each day on country roads which is almost 10 times higher than on motorways!

Why does this happen? Well when you think about it the reasons are easy to understand.

Rural roads often have a speed limit of 60mph - this speed limit is too often treated as a target rather than a speed to drive at only when safe to do so. Accidents at speed are more likely to result in serious injuries or fatalities. Rural roads are also often narrow, twisting, with dips and blind spots and a poor road surface.

Corners are also a hazard that many drivers do not handle well - approaching them too fast. This means they cannot judge the severity of the bend or see unexpected hazards such as oncoming or slow moving vehicles, livestock, horses or pedestrians. Country roads often have no road lighting which makes hazards hard to see.

Advice to motorists using country roads includes: slowing down before a bend and not on it, driving at a speed correct for the road conditions - don’t treat the speed limit as a target, being patient behind slow moving traffic - don’t overtake unless it is essential to do so, passing vulnerable road users such as horse riders, cyclists and walkers wide and slow and never take a country road for granted - conditions can be different every time it is used.

Thomas also suggests that we should not take risks: it is better to take a little more time with your journey and get to your destination safely than have an accident.

Let a country road take you home and not to the hospital!

Who is right?

More than 30 per cent of new season’s lambs being sold through the local livestock markets weight more than 45.6k at present and would, apparently, not be suitable for the supermarkets.

The slaughterhouses that supply UK supermarkets would penalise these lambs which are classified as ‘out of supermarket specification,’ but the live (mart) system of selling thankfully provides a buyer for all types of lambs and now dominates the top prices being paid to producers.

If only!

The Welsh rugby team were flying out on a summer tour when their plane lost an engine. The pilot came over the loudspeakers and informed everyone, but insisted that this was alright as they had another and it was more than capable of reaching their destination.

As soon as he finished on the microphone, the second engine blew and he came back on informing everyone that it was time to make their peace.

Welsh captain Sam Warburton and coach Warren Gatland then led his team and others on the plane in prayer. The plane crashed and they all went to heaven.

As it happened, this was the day before the annual Heaven versus Hell Rugby match.

God saw his opportunity and called the Devil.

G: I was thinking about tomorrow’s game and thought of increasing the normal stakes.

D: Sure thing, I’m a betting man!

G: OK, how about we double the bet to 200 souls?

D: Look, I don’t mind that, but I’m happy to make it a thousand.

G: Good stuff, one thousand souls it is.

D: Deal

God sniggered slightly down the ‘phone line, which make the Devil’s ears prick up

D: You’re up to something, I can tell, what is it?

G: I might be up to something, but you’ll find out tomorrow.

D: Look, our bets made and you know I won’t back out of it, tell me

G: OK, I have the entire Welsh side and coach Warren Gatland.

D: That’s alright, did you forget that I still have all the referees?