During the last few weeks we have been treating the lambs with fly strike prevention and wormer to prevent gut worms. We are pleased with most groups but the cold nights have taken their toll on Welsh yearlings who are rearing twins so for the first time, some lambs have shown symptoms of coccidiosis. As a sheep farmer whenever you think things are going well another problem arises.

On sunny days as I have been travelling around the farm, I have been taking photos of the wildlife. It is difficult to capture birds or mammals so I have some good photographs of trees and flowering plants. Last week was Wales Nature Week #WNW2019 and on the 5th June it was World Environment Day #WorldEnvironmentDay, so although I am not very media competent, I tweeted a few of the best photographs.

I also spoke about biodiversity, with a few photographs on a power point presentation, at NFU Cymru’s Sustainable Agriculture Event: Food Farming and the Environment conference. A very interesting document was launched at the conference covering key areas of the environment where farmers can and do, play an essential role: landscape, biodiversity, soil, water, air and climate. There is increasing pressure from government, and consumers, for farmers to produce food and be guardians of the wildlife in the countryside. A copy of this document is available from the NFU Cymru website.

The conference was at an opportune moment as Lesley Griffiths the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affaires published the summary of the responses to the consultation Brexit and Our Land last week. She states that Welsh Government considers that universal income support, not linked to outcomes, is not an effective way to support farmers. Therefore there will be a move to a new system of outcome-targeted payments with an objective of sustainable land management post-Brexit. She states that a sustainable approach will make it possible to produce public goods as a consequence of producing food. This will be subject to a further consultation in July. NFU Cymru will be holding meetings to help farmers understand the proposals so that they can reply to this second consultation.