Stricter procedures on the movement of cattle and sheep were established with the farming industry, the Welsh Government has said.

It has hit back at claims from the Farmers’ Union of Wales that new quarantine units for sheep, cattle and goats will hit local agricultural shows and sales.

But the Welsh Government says it has introduced the quarantine units as an alternative to the six day standstill rule that prevents farmers from freely moving animals on and off their farms.

A Welsh Government spokesman said: "We worked extremely closely with the industry – including the FUW, over a number of years, to develop quarantine units.

"The industry called for an alternative to the six day standstill arrangement and it has had ample time to prepare."

The union fears the requirement to come into force from Monday, September 11 that farmers must establish quarantine units on their farms if they wish freely move stock on and off their farms will make it harder to take animals to agricultural shows and sales.

At present farmers can set up isolation facilities on their farms in to allow them to move beasts freely without worry of breaking the six day standstill rule.

The isolation facilities need to only be approved by a local vet while the new quarantine units will have to be certified by a central authority, in Aberystwyth, and farmers will also have to pay a £150 fee for an 18 month certification.

Glyn Davies, of the Farmers’ Union of Wales, said he fears rather than have to comply with the stricter new requirements many farmers will simply abide by the six day standstill rule instead.

He said: "This time of year it is not just shows that will be affected but there are also sales, particularly breeding sales. You might like to bring in a ram and perhaps two days after sell some ewes but you wouldn’t be able to do it.

"Quarantine units pose a very real threat to the livestock classes at the smaller agricultural shows. The Welsh Government have constantly stressed the vital role that agriculture plays in the rural economy and community, yet are hell bent on introducing the units which will make it uneconomical for some farmers to participate at shows, particularly during the busy autumn sales period. The cost of obtaining approval and maintaining, quarantine units will prove prohibitive to many exhibitors."

The Welsh Government delayed the introduction of the quarantine units, from June to September, and said it has taken concerns on board.

Its spokesman said: "The ability to attend shows was taken into account and quarantine units will function in a similar way to isolation facilities. Unlike quarantine units, however, the current isolation facilities do not provide an appropriate level of biosecurity and are not regularly inspected. An authorised certification body will ensure a consistent application of the quarantine unit requirements across Wales.

"Certification fees reflect the certification body’s assessment of the commercial cost to them of providing the service. We have sought to keep fees to a minimum by not passing on any further incurred costs."