The next skills funding application window is now open for up to 80% subsidised training and will close on Friday 1st November 2019.  There are 3 steps to applying:
1) Register with Farming Connect before 28th October to gain access to the Business Wales website.
2) Complete a Personal Development Plan (PDP) on the Business Wales website to help identify which courses are available and most suitable for improving your skills.  Completing a PDP and submitting an application form is mandatory. There will be events and workshops throughout Wales to help with the process.
3) Apply for the desired training course(s) during the application window.  The applications will be assessed at the end of the application window and applicants will be notified by email.  You must then complete the course(s) within 9 months.

Click here for more information on the courses available and PDP workshop dates.

Farmers’ Union of Wales is reminding its members of the free veterinary support and advice available through the Cymorth TB programme.  The programme is managed by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and delivered through two Welsh veterinary delivery partners across Wales.  Those wishing to take part will be sent a voucher by APHA.
 
To make the support easier to access, visits by trained private vets have been, or will be, automatically scheduled for applicable herds; although cattle keepers may choose to opt-out if they wish.  The vets will provide support for disease management and advice on the risks associated with TB.
 
Private vets who wish to take part in the programme must complete a training module which has been accredited by Harper Adams University and is available online.
 
In addition, cattle keepers in the Intermediate TB Area North (ITBAN) can access free Cymorth TB style advice for keeping TB out following a clear contiguous TB test.
 
Please speak to your local veterinary practice for more.

FUW members are being reminded to follow the Heather and Grass Burning Code to avoid damage to the environment, hefty fines of up to £1,000 and cross compliance penalties. 
 
The burning of heather, rough grass, bracken, gorse and Vaccinium (bilberry) is only allowed between 1 October - 31 March in upland areas (land in the Severely Disadvantaged Area of the Less Favoured Area) and 1 November - 15 March elsewhere.
 
It is possible to carry out controlled burns at other times but only under a licence that may be obtained in very specific circumstances.  The Heather and Grass Burning Code asks farmers to prepare thoroughly before any burning is undertaken as well as plan and consult well in advance of the burning season. 
 
Those planning a controlled burn need to contact the local Fire and Rescue Service, consult and co-operate with neighbours, especially woodland owners, to establish or confirm a burning programme for the year and those on common land are advised to consult fellow Commoners and the local Commoners’ Association if applicable.
 
Carefully planned and controlled burning is beneficial for agriculture, wildlife conservation and the wider environment if it is carried out in the correct manner.  However, using burning as a management tool with a poor understanding can be equally damaging to the environment.
 
For further information and guidance on the Heather and Grass Burning Code, see here.

The Farmers’ Union of Wales county events on the Sustainable Farming and Our Land consultation have raised some key questions.  The FUW has provided a Q and A on some of the most common questions from members below: 
 

Q1) What if a farmer completes every action outlined in their Sustainable Farming Plan but the predicted outcomes don’t occur?
A1) According to the Welsh Government, a contract would ensure farmers are rewarded for the actions expected to deliver the anticipated outcomes, regardless of whether the predicted outcomes occur.
Based on experience with current and previous schemes, one concern the FUW has is that properly understanding, coping and complying with conditions relating to a range of complex actions can be problematic and lead to penalties if penalty regimes are disproportionate or common sense ignored.
 
Q2) Will those who have already carried out such Actions, for example under Glastir or other schemes, still be rewarded?
A2) Welsh Government state that farmers will get paid for existing features, however these were created - but they would not be paid retrospectively for establishing any features.
 
Q3) Regulatory frameworks take years to develop.  What will happen in the meantime?
A3) Following the FUW’s lobbying in 2018, the Welsh Government has moved significantly from its position of stating that it wishes to see a new scheme introduced by 2025. 
However, it is moving on in terms of the development of new legislation and regulations - for example in relation to extreme restrictions on farms across Wales aimed at tackling Water pollution, which are due to come in in 2020. 
The FUW continues to fight for proportionate regulations which reflect the need to target problems - for example by helping farmers in areas where are pollution problems, rather than implementing draconian rules across the whole of Wales.

Q4) How will they afford enough advisors for each and every farmer?
The ability of the Welsh Government to train and pay sufficient advisors to ensure tens of thousands of farmers are given the opportunity to negotiate appropriate and fair contracts, and that the process is not rushed, is a great concern - especially given ongoing pressure on the Welsh Government’s budget and the possibility that a future agricultural allocation might not be ringfenced for farmers, as is currently the case under EU rules.
Experience with thirty years or more of environmental contracts has shown that the more contracts Governments wish farmers to sign up to in a set period, the more likely the process is to be rushed and the higher the chances of farmers not understanding what they have agreed to, or signing something that turns out to be inappropriate for their businesses.
However, when it comes to monitoring agreements and outcomes, there is mention of self monitoring and the use of technology to help with efficient recording and reducing the need for farm inspections once the scheme is introduced.
 
Q5) Under collaboration, would farmers be paid for, say, double fencing for preventing BVD?
A5) Possibly, but the issue of ‘additionality’ becomes a problem for payments if Actions, such as double fencing, become a legal minimum requirement under regulation such as the proposed BVD regulation. 
 
Q6) What are Scotland, England and Ireland planning to do?
A6) England are aiming to base payments on Public Goods, similar to Wales.  Scottish farmers will receive direct payments in the short term, while the Scottish Government plans to make improvements such as simplifying the delivery of pillar 1 payments, streamlining application process, and encouraging and supporting new entrants. In the longer term there are plans in Scotland to promote innovation and improve the environmental performance of Scottish agriculture. While there is some talk of ‘Public Goods’ in Scotland, the Scottish Government has said that they regard food production as such a ‘Good’.
Farmers in the Republic of Ireland will continue to receive direct payments under the CAP as they will remain within the EU, whereas Northern Ireland has no clear plans in place as of yet.
 
Q7) Will farmers know how much they will be paid for implementing Actions on farm at the start of the scheme?
A7) Yes, it will be outlined within the agreed plan - but at this time there is no indication of how much a farmer might be paid for, for instance, carbon storage. There is further confusion regarding the values Defra might offer for carbon or other public goods, and whether they might differ to those in Wales
 
Q8) Is there an obligation by the UK Government to pay for this scheme?
A8) Where a contract is signed with Welsh Government they will be obliged to pay what has been agreed in the contract. While the current UK Government has committed to allocate the same level of funding to Wales as is currently the case, it is not possible for a Government to commit a future Government to making such payments.
The Welsh Government argues that because the scheme aims to work towards the UK target of net zero emissions by 2050, therefore the scheme presents a good case to both Welsh and UK Governments to fund Welsh agriculture for this purpose.

Q9) Would the baseline regulations of the scheme apply to those who own land and let it grow wild?
A9) Yes they would, regardless of whether they receive payment through the scheme

Q10) What do they mean by shortening supply chains and market alignment?
A10) There isn’t a great deal of detail within the consultation as it is still in the planning process. However, things such as Benchmarking for better market alignment and looking at Wales’ Food and Drink sector and Welsh ‘brand values’ (a current catchphrase in political and civil service circles which means the value a consumer attaches to a particular brand) to improve local supply chains are mentioned.

 
FUW advises all members to register for the BPS Loan Support Scheme and to attend the remaining FUW meetings to learn more about the consultation.
 
See here for a list of pending consultations.