Drastic action requred as suckler herds struggle in Welsh hills
The chairman of the UK’s oldest suckled calf co-op claims drastic action is needed to keep suckler cows in the hills of Wales.
Gethin Havard, whose family produces crossbred calves at Cwmbrynich, near Sennybridge, Powys, made the assertion on the eve of Brecon and Radnor Suckled Calf Rearers’ Association’s annual autumn sales.
He blamed the impact of support payment decoupling, poor finishing margins, cross-compliance limits on low-cost out-wintering of cattle, red tape, TB and the cost of pre-movement testing.
Rearers urgently needed help through the taxation system or grants to go on supplying the calves needed to produce beef for ever-more discerning consumers.
“Livestock buildings erected in the 1970s using FHDS grants are reaching the end of their useful life, the labour force in the hills is ageing and we cannot afford to employ young workers at the going rate,” said Mr Havard.
After 50 years of trading, BRSCRA membership was down from a peak of 1200 to 450, and autumn sale entries from 7500 to about 1500 head, he said.
“Our founders had the foresight and vision to improve and promote one of the UK’s finest livestock products, but over the past 10 very difficult years, we have been hit by BSE, the ban on exports, foot-and-mouth, over-regulation and now TB.
“However, our name is still synonymous with quality, and we will still attract hundreds of buyers from as far afield as Scotland to our sales on 17 and 24 October.”
Pat Tantrum, a founder member of the association, who worked as its field officer for more than 30 years, said finishers still appreciated the high standards set for the inspected cattle it presented for sale.
But producers faced huge problems, and there was a risk that a whole generation of upland farmers would lose the expertise needed to rear top quality calves using conservation-friendly systems.
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