Farming
Conservatives challenge Welsh Government over farming scheme
THE WELSH CONSERVATIVES have announced a debate in the Senedd, scheduled for July 17, 2024, focusing on the importance of Welsh farming and challenging the Welsh Labour Government’s approach to agricultural policy. The debate comes in the wake of ongoing concerns over the proposed Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) and its impact on the farming community.
The motion, brought forward by the Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs, James Evans MS, aims to highlight the critical role of farming in Wales. Evans criticised the Welsh Labour Government’s handling of agricultural issues, stating that the current SFS does not adequately support farmers and overlooks the essential contributions of the farming sector to the Welsh economy and rural communities.
“Labour continues to take our farmers for granted,” Evans said. “Unlike Labour, the Welsh Conservatives would make sure we have a Sustainable Farming Scheme that works for our farmers, not against them, safeguarding the future of our crucial industry.”
The motion to be debated reads:
- Celebration of Economic Contribution: The Senedd is urged to celebrate the valuable economic contribution of Welsh farming to the economy.
- Support for Rural Events: The motion acknowledges the benefits of events like the Royal Welsh Show and the National Eisteddfod in supporting rural communities and promoting Welsh culture and language.
- Opposition to Current SFS: It supports the strong opposition within the agricultural community against the current SFS, reinforcing the message “no farmers, no food.”
- Call for Government Action:
- Ensure the new SFS has the support of the farming community, with food security and environmental protection at its core.
- Work with the UK Government to expand on its minimal mention of farming in the general election manifesto and develop a comprehensive plan for farming across the UK.
The Welsh Labour Government has faced significant backlash over the SFS, particularly the requirements for farms to have at least 10% tree cover and 10% of land managed as semi-natural habitats. Farmers argue that these measures could take substantial portions of their land out of production, jeopardising their livelihoods.
Huw Irranca-Davies, Welsh Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, has acknowledged these concerns and announced revisions to the SFS. The revised scheme, set to commence in 2026 with a preparatory phase in 2025, aims to balance environmental sustainability with economic viability. However, the Welsh Conservatives argue that more needs to be done to ensure the scheme truly supports farmers.
The upcoming debate is expected to be a crucial platform for discussing these issues and pushing for a more farmer-friendly approach to agricultural policy in Wales.
Farming
Collaboration at the heart of new funding scheme for farmers
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
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
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.
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