Farming

Delay to Sustainable Farm Scheme ‘is bad news for farmers’ says Trust

Published

4 months ago

May 14, 2024

THIS week the Welsh Government announced that Sustainable Farming Scheme has been delayed by a year. Wildlife Trusts Wales believe this is bad news for farmers, nature and climate. The post-Brexit farm payment scheme offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to put farming in Wales on a sound sustainable footing to address the interlinked climate and nature crises and ensure a viable future for Welsh farming.

The decision to delay the scheme comes at a time when Welsh farmers are suffering from the effects of months of heavy rain. This is placing farm businesses under increasing strain, which will only get worse as our climate changes. The UK Government’s 2021 Food Security Report found that, “The biggest medium to long term risk to the UK’s domestic production comes from climate change and other environmental pressures like soil degradation, water quality and biodiversity.”

Rachel Sharp, Director of Wildlife Trusts Wales says: “The decision to delay the scheme simply prolongs the uncertainty at a time when farmers need to be rewarded for switching to sustainable farming methods which will benefit their businesses in the future. Delaying measures to help farms adapt to our changing climate now only increases costs tomorrow and so is bad news for farm incomes. The scheme offers a great opportunity for farmers to be on the front foot to address the changing weather – to plant trees for shelter for livestock, to switch to herb-rich grasses which are less prone to drought, and to store water in ponds on farms.

“It’s clear that the current food system isn’t working for farmers, nature, climate and even consumers. We see nature in rapid decline on some farmland, rivers polluted from agricultural run-off and many farmers struggling to make their businesses viable. Although the extra year will give further time for farmers’ concerns to be heard, it is vital to be lead by science.”

Most Welsh farms already have 6% tree cover and so do not have far to go to meet the proposals to reach 10% under the new scheme – trees benefit the farm through providing shelter for livestock, protect soil and to soak up flood waters. These areas do not have to come out of production because grazing beneath the trees is allowed.

Rachel Sharp continues: “It is a critical time for farming in Wales and it’s important that the new scheme is adequately funded. We need to see the whole scheme rolled out in 2026 as farmers need clarity on all tiers of the scheme including the ‘Options’ and ‘Collaborative’ tiers. Farmers need to know what payment rates will be available to plan for their business. This year will be critical and piloting new approaches is needed so that farmers can see what the new scheme looks and feels like. As 90% of Wales is farmland there is huge potential to harness nature to help store carbon and to hold back flood waters in revitalised natural habitats and to mitigate the impacts of climate change for the people of Wales. This would then demonstrate the value of giving taxpayers’ money to farmers for public benefits that, in turn, support rural communities.”

Nature is continuing to decline at an alarming rate across Wales, which is already one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. 18% (one in six) of species are at risk of extinction from Wales. The abundance of land and freshwater species has on average fallen by 20% across Wales since 1994.

Farming

Collaboration at the heart of new funding scheme for farmers

Published

2 days ago

September 9, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE development phase of the new Integrated Natural Resources Scheme (INRS) is open for applications until 27 September.

The INRS will enable farmers and others to work together to improve our natural resources and deliver benefits to farm and rural businesses.

A webinar has been arranged by Farming Connect on 11 September to give farmers the chance to learn more about the scheme and ask questions.

Although the scheme is separate from the Sustainable Farming Scheme it will be used to inform the collaborative element of the scheme during this interim period.

This scheme forms part of a preparatory phase of activities which may lead to collaborative projects ready to participate in the Collaboration Layer of the Sustainable Farming Scheme when it is introduced.

The scheme will provide funding for implementing nature-based solutions at the appropriate scale, targeting action and interventions to enhance and sustainably manage our natural resources.

Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, said: “The scheme has been developed to focus on collaborative action – enabling farmers and land managers to do something they do very well – which is working together to deliver innovative solutions. These projects will improve our natural resources in a way which delivers benefits to farm and rural businesses, rural communities, and wider societal benefits.

“We are committed to supporting farmers to produce food in a sustainable way, whilst taking action to respond to the climate emergency and to help reverse the decline in biodiversity.”

This could include projects which enhance our carbon-rich soils such as peatlands, creating and managing woodland, implementing natural flood risk management, enhancing access and public engagement, protecting landscape and historic features. Or, deliver actions to enhance priority and semi natural habitats, improving the connectivity, scale, adaptability, or diversity of semi natural habitats and our natural features, ensuring ecosystem resilience. Projects could also strengthen the resilience of Wales’ network of protected sites by working at a landscape scale to improve connectivity and condition.

Further information is available here www.gov.wales/integrated-natural-resources-scheme-rules-booklet-html

Farming

Royal Welsh Winter Fair livestock competitions schedule now available

Published

2 days ago

September 9, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE livestock competitions schedule for the 2024 Royal Welsh Winter Fair is now available online.

The Royal Welsh Agricultural Society is inviting farmers, breeders and exhibitors to visit the official website – https://rwas.wales/winter-fair/competitions/ – to view the full competition details, entry requirements and key dates.

This year’s winter fair, scheduled for November 25 and 26, promises to showcase the best livestock from across the country in a festive celebration.

Pictured above: The supreme cattle champion at last year’s winter fair.

Farming

Funded Farming Connect services lightens financial burden for family farm

Published

2 days ago

September 9, 2024

Tom Sinclair

INVESTING in skills training and business advice can be expensive for a family farm, but securing subsided and fully-funded Farming Connect courses and services has lightened the financial burden for a third-generation Radnorshire poultry and livestock producer.

George Wozencraft is following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Abraham, and father, Malcolm, at Glanalders, Nantmel.

Beef is produced from a 30-cow suckler herd and lamb from 250 Improved Welsh and Welsh Mule ewes.

In 2011, the Wozencrafts diversified into free range egg production with a 16,000-bird system, now producing eggs for Stonegate from Clarence Court hens.

To help put the business on a firm footing for the future, George has accessed a range of Farming Connect services.

As a member of its Radnorshire business discussion group, he has been encouraged to assess all aspects of his business, including scrutinising costs.

This exercise has proved invaluable in helping him to understand which enterprises are performing the best, to inform growth and investment going forward.

To build on this, George has also completed a Farming Connect e-learning course on understanding the fundamentals to a successful business and completed a book keeping course through the Farming Connect skills programme.

Under the Farming Connect Our Farms Network, he has embarked on a project helping him to improve efficiency and bird welfare in his poultry flock, while sharing that knowledge with other producers too.

The project has seen him replacing strip lights with LED lighting to become more
self-sufficient in energy while improving bird health and welfare and reducing the farms carbon footprint.

“We are looking at our electricity costs and the savings we are making, and any improvements to bird welfare from having low intensity lighting,’’ George explains.

The results of this on-farm project, which has included input from his packer, vet and genetics supplier, will be shared with other farmers later this Autumn in an open event.

To further improve efficiency, he is also targeting home-produced nutrients to where they are needed, informed by a Nutrient Management Plan funded by Farming Connect.

Twenty soil samples were taken and, based on these results, lime has been applied to improve pH levels and reduce reliance on synthetic fertiliser.

Farming Connect has not only helped to encourage that responsible approach to soil fertility but responsible and effective use of medicine too.

Through a Farming Connect clinic involving Ddole Road Vets George says he now better understands the importance of using antibiotics only when and where they are needed.

“The clinic concentrated my mind on the value of targeting treatments, not just the benefits of reducing those to prevent resistance but reducing our costs too because if we don’t need to use antibiotics then we are saving money.’’

Farm safety and first aid are at the forefront of George’s mind with recent deaths and accidents involving fellow farmers.

To ensure that he is better informed on how to react in an emergency situation he has undertaken an emergency first aid at work course, part-funded by Farming Connect, and completed a health and safety e-learning module.

George’s wife, Kate, is a nurse but should a medical emergency arise while she is off-farm, he knew he needed to be in a position to respond.

A new addition to the family, their son, Bertie, added further significance to that.

When George looks to the future, he also appreciates that there is much knowledge he can gain from farmers who have been in the industry for longer than him.

He therefore applied to the Farming Connect mentoring service and was matched to beef and sheep producer John Yeomans.

“We wanted to improve calving and our calf growth rates and knew that John was a good role model in how to produce cattle well, I am really looking forward to working through some of our issues with him,’’ says George.

After experiencing first-hand the benefits Farming Connect services have brought to him personally and to the farm business, he encourages other farmers to tap into these too.

“I had never been someone to make the most of what is out there until recently but I am so pleased that I now am,’’ he says.

“If we don’t use these services, it might be that one day they will no longer be available to us.

“So many of them are heavily subsidised or fully funded, it just doesn’t make sense to not make full use of what is on offer.’’

Completed activity is automatically recorded on Farming Connect’s secure online data storage tool ‘Storfa Sgiliau’ and can be easily accessed at any time.