The latest Farming Connect skills funding application window opened on 28th November 2022.

All training courses are subsidised by up to 80% for registered individuals with over 20 short courses available, categorised under ‘Business’,‘Land’ and ‘Livestock’ taught by approved training providers located throughout Wales.

Applying for Farming Connect skills and training is largely an online process but you can access one-to-one help and support if needed.  

Compulsory biosecurity and housing measures have been in place for poultry and captive birds since Friday the 2nd December in response to heightened risk of disease in Wales over the winter months. 

From the 2nd December it is a legal requirement for all keepers to house their birds indoors or separated from wild birds and to undertake a mandatory biosecurity self-assessment which can be found at: https://gov.wales/mandatory-biosecurity-self-assessment-checklist

Currently there is one open case of Avian Influenza in Wales, located near Buckley in Flintshire where a 3km Captive Bird (monitoring) Controlled Zone is in place. 

The Cilrath Acre project run by Tir Coed is providing fresh healthy food for Pembrokeshire Foodbank, and helping people learn food-growing skills.

Tir Coed believes this could be repeated in every community across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Powys

Tir Coed is a charity that connects people with land and woods by delivering outdoor training, learning and wellbeing programmes across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Powys.

The Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) has responded to the latest Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) proposals following extensive consultation with its membership across Wales, stressing that whilst significant progress has been made some major concerns and obstacles remain.

In its response the Union highlighted that members welcomed the overall SFS framework proposed by the Welsh Government based on the principle of a ‘baseline payment’ for all farmers undertaking ‘Universal Actions’ which is not dissimilar to providing a ‘stability payment’ as lobbied for by the FUW for years, with additional revenue streams for ‘Optional and Collaborative Actions’.

Existing RPW Online data being better utilised and new data being collected through self-monitoring and new technology was also broadly welcomed, in order to minimise the need for advisers or complex and resource thirsty contracts which would dilute the agricultural budget. As were the design principles of the scheme which aim to ‘keep farmers on the land’ and recognise that ‘food production is vital for our nation’.