News

New GHG study points to encouraging results for Welsh beef and sheep farms

Published

10 months ago

July 19, 2023

A FARMING CONNET study of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced by red meat enterprises has shown that Welsh farms are below the benchmark for similar farms across the UK.

185 Welsh farms had a detailed carbon audit of their businesses undertaken through the Farming Connect Advisory Service during the previous programme and these have produced encouraging results.

GHG emissions produced by the beef enterprises on these farms was 17% less than the benchmark figure for upland suckler spring calving cows published in The Farm Management Handbook 2022/23, which are representative of farms throughout the UK.

At 35.61 kg CO2e/kg deadweight (DW), they were also 5.7% less than the carbon benchmark figure for lowland suckler spring calving cows throughout the UK.

For sheep enterprises, the 29.89 kg CO2e/kg DW lamb figure was on average 9.3% lower than the benchmark figure for a hill ewe flock and 2.9% less than the benchmark for a crossbred ewe flock.

What the study did show was a big variation in the total emissions per kg product for each enterprise, but further analysis gave clear reasons in most cases for the significantly high and low values.

“It was evident that there was no correlation between farm size and total emissions per output,’’ said Farming Connect’s Carbon Specialist Officer Non Williams.

A large proportion of the total emissions produced by beef and sheep farms was methane, deriving from enteric fermentation.

One farm carbon calculator was used for the study to provide consistency with the benchmark farms as this tool had also been utilised on the benchmark farms. Other carbon calculating tools were used to complete a carbon audit for farms beyond the study sample, with the chosen tool decided by the individual farmer and consultant supporting the work.

The carbon audits provided bespoke information on each business’ whole farm GHG emissions, up to the point when the produce left the farm gate. Estimates of carbon sequestration were given too.

The farmers involved were provided with estimates of the carbon sequestered on their farms by soil, trees and hedges in their reports.

They also had recommendations of practical measures they could take to further reduce GHG production and enhance carbon sequestration levels. These measures included improving herd and flock health, manure management and adopting reduced tillage approaches for reseeding.

“This will help Welsh farm businesses to improve efficiency as well as help work towards ‘net zero’ targets,’’ said Dr Williams.

The new Farming Connect Knowledge Transfer programme, which started on 1 April 2023, will continue to offer support to farm and land-based businesses in Wales.

The new Advisory Service can offer all eligible businesses up to 90% funding towards independent and confidential advice to a maximum value of £3,000.

This could include a carbon audit with recommendations on how reductions could potentially be achieved, such as through improving soil management and sequestration and through animal health and efficiency.

Although this study is a very encouraging reflection of the red meat sector in Wales, it emphasises that there is still room for improvement. Farming Connect offers a full range of services to assist Welsh farmers to reduce their products’ carbon footprint. “Further advice is available to look more in-depth at some of the recommendations, such as soil sampling and Nutrient Management Planning,’’ said Dr Williams.

Entertainment

St Davids Cathedral Music Festival representatives attend Royal Garden Party

Published

9 hours ago

May 16, 2024

Tom Sinclair

SIMON PEARCE, the esteemed Organist and Master of the Choristers at St Davids Cathedral, was honoured to attend a royal garden party at Buckingham Palace, hosted by King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

The event, celebrating the UK’s Creative and Cultural Industries, featured an array of celebrities, stunning displays of spring gardens, and performances by the Band of The Marines.

Mr Pearce, who attended with his wife Katherine was appointed in 2022 as the Director of Music at the cathedral—a position he has held since 1998 in an assistant capacity—expressed his delight at the opportunity to represent the festival. “Every single moment was to be savoured,” he remarked, noting the “wonderful music, fantastic host of celebs, a sumptuous tea party, stunning gardens and Palace, and glorious British spring weather.”

The St Davids Cathedral Music Festival 2024 will open with a dazzling performance by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales on May 25. The orchestra will treat audiences to Mathias’s Festival Overture and Brahms’ Second Symphony.

Adding to the splendour, award-winning violinist Inmo Yang will grace the stage with his rendition of Sibelius’ Violin Concerto.

This year’s festival will also introduce several new performers. The Choir of Royal Holloway is set to debut on May 27, enchanting attendees with choral arrangements of orchestral classics. Local talent is also in the spotlight, with Pembrokeshire-born horn player Simon Lewis performing alongside Trio Preseli on May 26, showcasing works by Welsh composer Anthony Randall.

Adding a touch of environmental consciousness to the festival, clarinet virtuoso Emma Johnson returns on May 28 with her Orchestra for the Environment.

Their repertoire will include pieces by Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and Johnson’s own composition, ‘The Tree of Life’.

The festival will kick off with the 150-strong Children’s Festival Chorus on May 24, captivating audiences with their youthful energy and a live band.

Throughout the week, the cathedral musicians will feature prominently in several concerts, with the highlight being the full Cathedral choir performing Choral Evensong live on BBC Radio 3.

This prestigious invitation to Buckingham Palace came just two years after Mr Pearce’s official appointment as the Master of Choristers, a role in which he has pledged to continue enhancing the cathedral’s distinguished musical tradition.

At the time of his appointment, the Very Revd Dr Sarah Rowland Jones, as Dean of St. Davids, praised Mr Pearce’s exceptional talents, saying, “It has been a pleasure to enjoy the excellence of Simon’s playing and conducting over the years.”

Under his leadership, the Cathedral Choir and Choral Foundation have been furthering their well-deserved reputation for excellence. “St Davids Cathedral is a spiritually inspiring and beautiful place in which to make music,” Mr Pearce said, acknowledging the special connections the cathedral maintains with the local community, school, and the wider Pembrokeshire area.

News

Council works to reduce empty properties in Carmarthenshire

Published

15 hours ago

May 16, 2024

Tom Sinclair

CARMARTHENSHIRE County Council is reducing the number of empty properties within the county through the introduction of the Empty Properties Framework.

Combining enforcement, the implementation of council tax premiums on empty properties and providing support to help owners bring empty properties back into use, the Empty Properties Framework aims to:

• Reduce the number of long-term empty homes across the county

• Increase the supply of affordable housing to meet demand

• Tackle issues relating to property nuisance, blight and the impact on communities

The following case study is an example of how Carmarthenshire County Council is supporting communities and owners to bring empty properties back into use.

An empty property was reported to the Council with loose rendering falling onto a neighbouring driveway and refuse/waste material in the garden. Investigations revealed that the property had been recorded as empty for seven years and was privately owned by a limited company.

The property was visited by the Council’s Empty Homes Officers and scored as high risk (Category A), requiring enforcement. The owners responded positively to the notice served and assisted with the Council’s formal inspection of the property, during which various category 1 (the most serious) hazards were identified.

As a result, statutory notices were served on the property. These notices provided varying timeframes for work to be carried out. In the event of non-compliance, the Council may choose to undertake works, recovering all costs from the owner.

The owner complied with the work which posed an imminent risk and then sold the property at public auction. The Improvement Notices remained with the property when sold. Upon purchase, the new owners immediately began work to improve the property and this is progressing well.

Cllr Linda Evans, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Homes said: “The introduction of the Empty Homes Framework aims to be bold in bringing about the improvement and occupation of empty homes, increasing the supply and use of housing to all.

Carmarthenshire County Council is committed to reducing the number of empty properties in the county, with various methods of support in place to assist owners of these properties to bring them back into use including financial assistance, subject to eligibility.”

From 1st April 2024, council tax premiums were also introduced on properties empty for more than 12 months to encourage owners to reflect on whether they could make better use of their property.

For more information on the support available to owners of empty properties visit the Council’s website – Carmarthenshire.gov.wales/housing

News

Free disability sports event heads to Pembroke Leisure Centre

Published

15 hours ago

May 16, 2024

Tom Sinclair

PEMBROKE Leisure Centre will play host to a free disability sports and physical event later this month with lots of sports and activities to try.

The insport series, in partnership with Disability Sport Wales, Sport Pembrokeshire and Pembrokeshire Leisure is an inclusive sport and physical activity event.

It offers opportunities for disabled young people (ages 5 years+) and adults across Pembrokeshire and friends and family are welcome.

On offer to try are: boxing, boccia, swimming (on a separate first come first serve booking basis), football, wheelchair rugby, target shooting, adaptive bikes, cricket, golf, multisport, and more.