With the Basic Payment Scheme due to be paid in early December, the Farmers’ Union of Wales Gwent branch are warning farmers to be conscious of fraudsters.

The warning follows an alert issued by Gwent Police.

This December, Tarian, the Regional Organised Crime Unit for southern Wales is expecting an influx of calls and emails to the farming community, attempting to trick them out of their money.

“Following similar annual patterns when farmers receive their funding from the Basic Payment Scheme, the police anticipate they will be targeted by the same attempts to fraudulently part with their cash.

“Criminals have been known to pose as banks, as well as authorities such as the police, to attempt to extort money though illegitimate means. They will either contact the victims via telephone, email or in person and request that money be moved to ‘safer’ locations, due to bogus security issues.

“They will create a sense of urgency and may even know minor details about the victims to convince them they are genuine,” said FUW Gwent CEO Glyn Davies.

The Union therefore urges farmers and landowners to take the following measures to ensure they do not fall victim to these types of scams this coming winter.

The Pembrokeshire branch of the Farmers’ Union of Wales is hosting an information evening for farmers, helping them get up to speed on the upcoming changes to the VAT submission system and rural crime.

The event takes place on Wednesday 21 November 2018, 7.45pm, at the Picton Centre, Haverfordwest.

Guest speakers on the night are Julian Harries and Gethin Davies, of DMB Davies accountants, based in Cardigan, who will be talking about the upcoming changes to the VAT submission system from 1 April 2019.

PC Gerwyn Davies and PCSO Jude Parr, of Dyfed Powys Police’s Pembrokeshire Rural Crime Team, will be talking about their new roles, how they can assist farmers and how farmers can help them to fight rural crime.

FUW Pembrokeshire CEO Rebecca Voyle said: “This promises to be an informative evening, which will help farmers to understand what they need to do to comply with the upcoming changes, including the new format for keeping VAT records and it is always good to catch up with our local rural police teams. I hope many of you can join us and look forward to seeing you on the night.”   

Ffermio presenter Meinir Howells has been recognised for her services to agriculture in Carmarthen with the Farmers’ Union of Wales - United Counties Agricultural and Hunters Society Award.

Every year the Farmers’ Union of Wales recognises an individual who has made a great contribution towards the development of the dairy industry and has become an integral part of the dairy industry in Wales.

This year, the Union is proud to honour Aled Jones, a dairy farmer from Hendy, near Caernarfon, and a Fellow of the Royal Agricultural Society,  with its FUW-HSBC Outstanding Service to the Welsh Dairy Industry Award.

Diversification is not something that suits every farm business but the Edwards family of Groesasgwrn, Llangynderyn, near Carmarthen certainly know how to put the talent and skills in the family to good use.

Members of the South Wales FUW Academy, a collaboration of the Union’s Gwent, Glamorgan and Brecon and Radnor branches, recently visited Fforch Farm in the Rhondda, explored the first farm shop in the area and visited micro-brewery Cwm Rhondda Ales, to learn about different ways of diversification. 

Fforch Farm is a beef and sheep farm with 40 cattle and 500 sheep and has been in the Jones family for 33 years. Lynne and Lorna Jones, who have 6 daughters and 1 son, run the farm and farm shop together with their daughters Grug, Caryl, Aneira and son Arwel.