At the recent well-attended NFU Cymru Monmouthshire AGM, members appreciated that all of society is seeing hikes in energy, fuel and food prices, but expressed concern at some costs being pushed on to the industry, such as the proposals for eye-watering increases to Natural Resource Wales’ (NRW) regulatory fees and charges.
NRW regulatory fees and charges
The rises, set out in a NRW consultation on permits and licences launched last month, propose increases across a number of charging regimes from April 2023 and include proposals for a 10-fold increase in the cost of new applications to £3,728 for land spreading of spent or unused sheep dip.
Changes are also proposed for permits in relation to farming installations for the rearing of pigs and poultry, with the cost of new applications rising from £7,322 to £9,270. The costs of variations of these permits are proposed to rise from £388 to £5,562.
NRW is also proposing a 6% increase for a number of the annual fees it charges to recover the costs of monitoring and assessing compliance with permit conditions.
'Dismayed'
Commenting on the NRW proposals, incoming NFU Cymru Monmouthshire County Chair Emma Robinson said: “In the context of the very significant inflationary pressures faced by farm businesses for key inputs such as energy, feed and fertiliser, many farmers are dismayed at NRW’s proposals.
"While we understand that NRW has a duty to recover costs and is unable to cross-subsidise various charging regimes, farmers are astonished at the scale of the proposed cost increases and disappointed that NRW has not made more effort to streamline the application process and deliver efficiencies to reduce costs.
Hinder rather help
“There can be no doubt that NRW proposals to increase the costs for sheep dip disposal by 10 times will hinder efforts to eradicate sheep scab, which has been identified by the Wales Animal Health and Welfare Framework Group as a long-standing priority."
Emma Robinson
"Given the limited options available for treatment of sheep scab - with dipping one of the best options available - farmers will be justified in feeling frustrated at the complete lack of co-ordination across government and its agencies. The proposals are short-sighted, ill thought out and NFU Cymru is seeking a full breakdown and justification from NRW for these eye-watering increases.
“For pig and poultry farmers, the proposed increase in charges for new and variations to permits come at an already worrying time for the sectors.
“On one hand we are looking at animal health and welfare plans to enter the new Sustainable Farming Scheme and on the other hand we are witnessing nothing short of a deterrent on fulfilling our good husbandry practices. We cannot absorb any more costs and this illustration of such an increase, is simply unacceptable.”