Sheep farming in Wales has shaped the whole nation environmentally. Why? Because a lot of upland Wales is unsuitable for any other type of farming. I have spent quite a bit of time in Wales over the years, working in the farming sector. I always find our Welsh farmer customers open to new ideas and far more interested in marketing and new tech than others in the UK.
So here we are. Farmer protests at the Senedd. Earth and Leaf wants to work with farmers. The Sustainable Farming Scheme is a great move towards restoring habitat across Wales. This is a great article by Dr Malcolm Smith. He makes some excellent points about subtle changes that would help farmers. The scheme also needs explaining better to farmers.
https://nation.cymru/opinion/farmers-need-to-to-get-behind-the-sustainable-farming-scheme/
The Structure of Sheep Farming in Wales
This mirrors the same structure found in England and Scotland. Hill ewes such as the Welsh Mountain are kept on high ground. Draft ewes are sold at market to farms lower down the hill to be crossed with Blue Faced Leicesters and other breeds to produce mules. These are again moved further down the hill to be crossed with terminal sires to produce fat lambs.
https://meatpromotion.wales/en
Time for Change
We need to look at this traditional structure of the industry. The hill and draft ewe system is no longer necessary except to maintain communities. So, we must use just transition to help maintain a thriving countryside. This is what we should do !