Welsh natural resources minister Alun Davies last night announced that the derogation for disposing of fallen animals will be extended for another week.

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Following heavy snowfall in late March, which caused snow drifts up to 5 meters high in parts of Wales and Western England, and led to the death of thousands of animals, farmers in some areas have been permitted to bury animals where they fell. Cattle were hit extremely hard by the adverse conditions in parts of Wales last month.   

The natural resources minister said on Tuesday evening that farmers will be allowed to continue burying livestock in badly affected areas until 16 April, and that parts of north Ceredigion would be included in the derogation. He also announced plans for a Welsh government review looking at how farm businesses in Wales will cope with future extreme weather events and said he had been in touch with the army, who could be drafted in to help in the worst-hit areas.

Last week the National Fallen Stock Company warned that even the latest figures detailing the cold snap's toll on livestock "will largely exclude losses from the most badly hit regions, as the snow will still be masking dead animals."

The Farmers Union of Wales criticised Mr Davies' extension as "a few crumbs of comfort in response to the crisis," which are inadequate given the severe effects of recent Arctic weather conditions." The union is seeking hardship payments to cover their losses.

Union president Emyr Jones, who lost stock on his Bala farm, said "A review… is little help for farmers suffering livestock losses, damaged buildings and fodder shortages right now. Most upland farmers coming to the end of what has been a disastrous lambing season this year are unlikely to have the energy or time to consider a whole farm plan at the moment and it is likely to be several weeks before the full extent of the losses can be determined."

Nevertheless, it looks unlikely that the Welsh government will pay out; Davies has said there must be an inherent weakness in an industry "if a single year of reduced prices, together with the difficult weather, causes such apparent economic disruption to the sector."

On Tuesday, Mr Jones called the minister's remarks "insensitive" and added, "When I met him on a Montgomeryshire farm last week I urged him to consider an emergency financial package as the devolved administrations in Scotland and Northern Ireland have already agreed to assist farmers hit by similar weather conditions. But he has shown a total disregard for the way in which many Welsh farmers are now fighting hard to sustain their livelihoods in the hills."

However, Mr Davies said, "These problems cannot simply be remedied by providing further public subsidy, as some have suggested." The minister will make a further announcement on the situation next week.