YFC rally
It was great to attend the 76th Worcestershire YFC Rally on 16 May, along with Worcester Group Secretary Jack Ballard. All their hard work paid off and every club was busy competing throughout the day.
I thought that the standard of the competitions was excellent – there are some very talented young members out there. Well done to all who took part or attended. The heavy rain showers did not dampen spirits – they were even welcome after a sustained spell of dry weather.
Funding and support meeting
The county funding and support meeting attracted 60 members to hear about various sources of funding available across the county. All who came took something useful away. Here’s a summary:
- Richard Wordsworth, NFU Senior Support Scheme Adviser on the latest capital grants and SFI options
- Caroline Corsie Worcestershire Wildlife Trust, on the Forest of Feckenham – a network for nature
- Louise McEvoy, Advanced Public Health Practitioner, Worcester County Council – mental health support
- Elspeth McQueen, Wychavon District Council - Wychavon and Malvern Hills Rural Fund update
- Darren Schrouder on Growth Fund, Apprenticeship employer grants and hospitality skills boost
- Philippa Dawson, Catchment Sensitive Farming, on: the advice services available from CSF
- Emily Williams, Severn Trent Water on STEPS grants and free water bowsers
County Council land holdings
Recently, James Appleby and I were invited to meet with the new County Council Leader Matt Jenkins (Green Party) and Deputy Leader, Councillor Adam Kent.
The council has faced severe financial challenges in recent years. It ended a previous financial year with a £96.4m deficit and subsequently faced tens of millions in funding gaps that required an emergency government bailout of £59.9m to help balance its budget.
They told us that they are considering selling off the county council holdings to provide central government with a plan around how they aim to pay back the loan. The provision of county farms, which have provided a path into agriculture for generations, has come under increasing scrutiny.
The NFU has been working hard to make sure councillors understand the value county farms provide and the vital role they play. Getting a foothold in any profession is never easy, but for farmers it’s more difficult than most. Unless you have a spare million or two in your back pocket, buying a farm outright is not really on the cards.
This is where county farms have such an important role to play. Owned by local authorities, they offer tenancies which can provide an invaluable foothold for new entrants and ensure land is put to productive use.
For many aspiring farmers, access to land is the single biggest barrier to entering the industry and younger people often struggle to access capital. County farms help break down that barrier. They provide starter farms – smaller holdings specifically designed to give new entrants a foothold that would otherwise be unaffordable in the open market.
But we also realise that, for some, this could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to buy their holding. If you are a county council tenant, please let me know. I am compiling a list of council tenants so that we can offer NFU support if the council decides to press ahead with the disposal of assets.
Please email me on [email protected] if you need to be involved.
Badger vaccination trials
North Worcestershire has been selected as a key rollout area for government-funded badger vaccination trials to combat bTB (bovine tuberculosis).The effort is part of a £15.2 million Defra contract awarded to Farmcare Solutions to deploy a national Badger Vaccination Field Force across high-risk bTB clusters.
We helped organise a well-attended meeting at Rowberry’s where farmers and contractors could find out more about the project and register to get involved. While some were concerned that the progress made through wildlife control would be eroded, others in the room felt that a vaccination pilot offered some hope against the spread of bTB.
NFU Deputy President Paul Tompkins said: “Bovine TB policy must be led by science, not politics," as he reflects on the progress made so far in the fight against the disease and explains why a comprehensive approach is what's needed to achieve eradication.
It’s clear that, as we’ve awaited Defra’s TB strategy refresh, confusion has grown as to where TB policy is headed and how the government will achieve its goal of eradication by 2038.
The NFU’s position on this has never changed. We have always advocated for a comprehensive package of measures to tackle bovine TB – measures which are scientifically proven to tackle this endemic disease effectively.
Veterinary practice MacArthur, Barstow & Gibbs Ltd are co-ordinating this project so please do get in touch with them to register your interest. 01527 861771.
WAG (Water Abstraction Group)
Plans are progressing with our Worcestershire WAG. The EA (Environment Agency) is reviewing water abstraction licences, asking farmers to give up “excess headroom” due to over-abstraction in many catchments.
Letters are being sent to farmers and other licence holders, encouraging them to reduce volumes or even revoke licences that have remained unused for long periods of 12-15 years.
The NFU is urging farmers to respond promptly to the letters, warning that Section 52 revocation notices will be issued if farmers fail to reply.
We are in the process of setting up a WAG so that we pull together a collaborative network of water users, typically farmers, growers, and food producers, who work together to manage water supplies, share usage rights and protect access to water within a specific river or groundwater catchment area.
Please contact Emma Hamer on 07469 084691 to get involved and join the WAG WhatsApp group.
Shows and events
It is getting busy throughout the summer with several shows and events. The NFU was at Cereals and The Three Counties and will be at The Arable Event, Hanbury Show and Tenbury Show, so if you’re planning to attend, please come and say hello.
County comms
Please join the NFU Worcestershire Facebook page or WhatsApp group where I post updates on what’s happening in policy and in the county. Just email me if you would like the joining link. [email protected]
I look forward to seeing you across the county soon.