Following reports of washed away silage bales, in the Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire areas of Wales, which have caused problems in rivers, the Farmers’ Union of Wales is urging farmers to keep their silage bales in a safe and secure place.

FUW Pembrokeshire CEO Rebecca Voyle said: “Silage is a premium commodity this year and expensive to replace, in addition, it can cause untold problems if it is not stored securely and finds its way into watercourses during periods of flooding.

“Given that some bales in the counties of Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire have already caused problems by blocking rivers, we would urge farmers to check that their bales are stored securely to avoid any further issues over the coming months.”

Farmers are being reminded by the Farmers’ Union of Wales to cross-check Glastir contract extension offers to avoid financial penalties.

One-year Glastir extensions are currently being offered by the Welsh Government, via RPW Online only, to many whose Glastir contracts conclude at the end of 2018.

“It is important that farmers access their RPW Online account and read their contract extension offer so they fully understand any new obligations or changes to their contracts, as even a minor breach can result in significant penalties,” said FUW policy officer, Charlotte Priddy.

“If they are happy with the offer it is also essential that they accept it within the 21 day deadline.”

FUW members who are unsure of their contractual obligations should contact their local FUW county office for further advice or the Rural Payments Wales Customer Contact centre on 0300 062 5004.

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.”