Farmer Focus: Time to tell politicians our side of the story
Joe Mault © Richard Stanton Blwyddyn Newydd Dda (Happy new year). I’m sure by now everyone has had enough of turkey curry and may be entertaining the idea of a dry January.
The new year always brings an element of optimism, with grand plans about how we are going to change our way of farming for the better.
See also: How to host MPs on farm and influence ag policy
About the author
Admittedly, it’s sometimes a difficult task to be optimistic (as I write this before Christmas), with farmers still under a tirade of strain from meat consignments being seized by French authorities, the inheritance tax nightmare and the milk price drop, to name this week’s issues.
However, we can all agree that despite some people’s (and governments’) best efforts to derail our industry, we have so much to celebrate.
The food that farmers produce is some of the best there is – we only need to look at our world-renowned Welsh lamb.
We get accused of so much negativity but, thinking about our own farm, we have planted so many new hedgerows and trees over the past 20 years, I’m sure generations before would not recognise the place.
This has not only benefited how we manage the farm but has improved biodiversity immensely – we only need to see the spike in numbers of red kites in our area, compared with years gone by.
Sometimes leaving farmers – who know the land best – to do as they see fit, is the only way to see benefits to wildlife.
Those with their own agendas can be blinkered to facts, as seen in a recent Game and Wildlife Trust (GWT) study, where the Badger Trust dismissed the findings.
Using true camera trap data from across the UK, the GWT showed that 41.7% of wader nest predation was done by badgers.
The response from the Badger Trust was to state that the research was “fuelling harmful narratives”.
We need to be careful of who has the ear of governments and advises them, so my own new year’s resolution is to be more celebratory about our industry with those in power.
This might only mean sending an email or two to my MS and MP.
It is important they don’t forget the industry that manages the landscape that so many, many jobs rely on.
I also urge you all too to send an email or two, to see if you can make a difference.