Ráðunautafundur - 15.02.2001, Page 29

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ployment) and land which has a high conservation value) yet Wales has some of the most in-
tensive pastoral agriculture in the UK. Grassland accounts for 84% of the land area of Wales
with two-thirds being classiiied as improved grassland. This is in stark contrast to the rest of
the UK where only one-third of the grassland is considered to be improved. In common with
the rest of the UK there has also been a switch from the traditional production of hay from
meadows to the more intensive and reliable production of silage (Welsh Agricultural Statis-
tics 1999). Welsh agriculture shows intensification and specialisation to a very high degree
and demonstrates the past conflict between drivers controlling individual farming success and
tliose encouraging the wider goals of environmental enhancement and landscape design.
The fall in hill Sheep prices (66% reduction in the price of ewe lambs between 1997-98)
together with a reduction in sheep premium payments has caused a crisis in Welsh farming.
Many farmers are now re-appraising their farming enterprises and embracing schemes and
regimes that deliver the benefits demanded by the concept of sustainabie agriculture.
A number of farming methodoiogies are available to the progressive farmer and we in-
tend to describe three and relate their ability to deliver the necessary products for sustainable
development in Wales.
Agri-environment schemes
The agri-environment schemes in
Wales started in 1991 with a re-
stricted pilot scheme (Tir Cymen).
This has now been refined and ex-
tended to the whole of Wales as the
Tir Gol’al Agri-environment
scheme. The principles of the
scheme combine. on a whole farm
basis, good farming practice with
the conservation of existing semi-naturai habitats, habitat expansion, landscape conservation
and the protection of archaeological features while promoting opportunities for the public to
enjoy the countryside and coast. The results of the first 5 years of Tir Cymen scheme (CCW
1997) are shown in Table 3.
Although the scheme seems to deliver the required components for sustainabie agriculture
a number of comments must be bome in mind when reviewing the outcome of these schemes;
• Initial uptake would be from 'environmentally minded' famiers who were likely to make a
success of the scheme.
• In many cases such fanners would already be applying enviroimiental concepts and thus
the new regirne would not impose a radical change from existing management.
• Acceptance on to the scheme is by ranking and weighting applications. Only 5-600
agreements are to be allowed each year. There are 27.900 fanns in Wales.
lntegrated crop management system (ICMS), integratedfarm management (IFM)
Often conceptualised as the ’third way' or middle course for agriculture between conven-
tional and organic farming. These systems are a common sense approach to farming. They are
a refmement of conventional farming techniques based on the idea of optimising the inputs
into a system, whilst maintaining high levels of production. ICMS combines the best of tradi-
tional methods with appropriate modern technology, balancing the economic production of
crops with positive environmental management. Thev are achievable for farmers, acceptable
to the consumer and maintain a financially profitable business.
Table 3. Findings from the first five years of the Tir Cymen
scheme.
1. Tir Cymen can maintain and enhance farm incomes whilst
reducing farming intensity.
2. The kind of environmentally sensitive farming encouraged by
Tir Cymen can result in improved farming performance
3. Generates and maintains employment on the farm through the
need to carry out environmental maintenance work
4. Stimulates the local economy