It is in the agricultural industry’s interest to help pollinators as their decline is a complex issue, the NFU have said.
The message comes as part of the Union’s response to the Welsh Government (WG) consultation on the Draft Action Plan for Pollinators in Wales. The consultation identified agricultural intensification as one area of concern, however NFU Cymru expresses that the bias in the document towards pointing the finger at agriculture needs to be corrected in the final chosen strategy which needs to look at the bigger picture.
NFU Cymru Combinable Crops and Horticulture board Chairman, Perkin Evans said, “As an agricultural industry we fully understand the value of bees and other pollinating insects to crop and fruit production. A thriving pollinating insect population is vitally important to us and their value in ecosystem services including food production should never be underestimated.
“Many NFU Cymru members are beekeepers themselves and Welsh honey provides an additional income stream for numerous small scale food producers across Wales. We have supported the inclusion of initiatives and recognition of bees on the Glastir scheme and believe that this is the right way forward. However there would be distinct benefits to small part farm schemes to help pollinators for those that chose not to enter the Glastir scheme.
“We do not accept the argument that agricultural intensification is to blame. The last 10 years has seen a one million head reduction in breeding ewes in Wales. Furthermore, since 1990 the use of pesticides has declined by 37% and fertilizer use has dropped by 40% between 1998 and 2008. In reality, reducing grazing pressure is resulting in rank vegetation in some areas leading to an actual decline in flowering plants.”
Perkin Evans concluded, “It is widely acknowledged that there are many factors challenging the health of pollinators, therefore we would argue that the final Welsh Government strategy needs to give greater emphasis to disease prevention and climate change. There is no doubt in our mind that wet summers, droughts and harsh winters do have an effect not only on bees but on other insect pollinators. This is the real challenge that this strategy must face.”
