Some of you may know that two farms in Llanboidy have recently been sold to companies that will be using the land to plant entirely with trees. The farms are Penback and Llechclawdd. One company is Morris Lubricants of Shrewsbury in Shropshire, England. They intend planting (through the employment of their land agents Tilhill) mainly conifer trees (sitca spruce, a large tree native to North America which can grow up to 100 metres tall) and some broadleaf trees. Although we do not oppose the planting of trees per se, we believe that this particular proposal will be detrimental in many ways and invite you to sign the petition if you agree.
THE PETITION IS NOW IN RODNEY'S (SPAR) SHOP AND DP BUILDING SUPPLIES, LLANBOIDY.
Outlined below are some of our reasons for this petition:
Food Security: With an ever-increasing population it is vital that we secure all sources of food production. Not only are trees inedible, but when conifer trees are planted, they acidify the soil and absorb and remove the nutrients, making it incapable of producing food for ever. With recent events such as wars in foreign countries and covid, we have seen the importance of growing our own food here in Wales.
Biodiversity: The coniferous trees to be planted will inhibit biodiversity. They will block natural light and prevent growth of anything on the ground, therefore reducing wildlife habitat. They will also overshadow existing hedges, threatening their existence.
Economy: Farms employ local people – farm workers, agricultural contractors, fencing contractors, vets, animal food suppliers, farm machinery sales and repairs, etc. as well as producing food to be sold. Without these our local economy will suffer greatly. The money from the sale of trees/wood and the grants offered will most likely go to non-local, non-Welsh companies.
Carbon sequestration: Grass already sequesters carbon and stores it safely underground. Whilst trees do sequester carbon, they take years to grow large enough to sequester carbon and when they fall or are felled they release carbon back into the atmosphere. Add to this the need to transport/import food and carbon emissions rise significantly.
Impact on farmers: Grants are being offered to companies that plant trees on farmland. They are buying land here because it is much cheaper than elsewhere. The purchase of farmland by these companies has inflated the price, making it unaffordable for local farmers or potential farmers. With the introduction of Nitrate Vulnerable Zones, livestock farmers may need more land per head of livestock. Therefore, they may need to buy more land in order to maintain their current production levels. This plan will reduce the amount of available agricultural land.
Use of chemicals: Some highly toxic herbicides and pesticides are used in the maintenance of tree plantations.
Planning: Under current legislation it is not necessary to seek change of use of agricultural land in this way. We would like this to be changed.