FUW supports industry registers for addressing labour shortfall during pandemic

Several agricultural industry registers have been set up during the covid pandemic in order to address the shortfall of farm labour resources.

Lantra Skills Matching Service
Welsh Government - through Lantra - has set up a skills matching service for agricultural businesses across Wales to find individuals with the required skills in order to fulfil labour shortages during this difficult time.

The register with the relevant forms for businesses and potential employees can be found here: https://www.wales.lantra.co.uk/skills-matching-service-0. If any businesses lack adequate internet access, the Farming Connect Service Centre (08456 000 813) can fill the form out over the phone on their behalf.

Menter Môn and Conwy Cynhaliol
The Menter Môn programme in Anglesey and Gwynedd has a dedicated helpline for those needing on-farm practical support during covid-19. Members wishing to access this service should ring 07739 948883 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The programme will contact a volunteer that has registered on their database. The volunteer will then contact the farmer for further information on what is required. As part of the programme, it is asked that only the most basic and important work to be completed by the volunteer is put forward.

This service is also available in Conwy through ‘Conwy Cynhaliol’. Those wishing to access this service should call Rhys Evans on 01492 576671 / 07733 013328 or via email on: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

It is a legal requirement that you have valid Employers Liability and Public Liability insurances.

NAAC shearing register
The National Association of Agricultural Contractors (NAAC) along with the support of industry Stakeholders, including the FUW, have also set up a shearing register. As it seems likely that overseas shearers will not be able to travel to the UK for the 2020 season, it will be vital to ensure that sheep are shawn in order to prevent animal welfare issues down the line.

The FUW encourages any shearers who are able to help and farmers or shearing contractors who will require labour resources to fill in the relevant form here: https://www.naac.co.uk/jobs/shearingregister/

The industry has also prepared a Covid-19 Shearing Checklist to ensure that shearers, wool handlers and farmers operate at safe distances and with practical measures to ensure safe health.