Cash is starting to connect with farmers (From Western Telegraph)

Cash is starting to connect with farmers

The benefits of the National Assembly's Farming Connect service are starting to filter through to Pembrokeshire farmers 12 months after its launch.

This unique and innovative service was put in place to help agricultural businesses through the current recession in the industry. But the Assembly hadn't anticipated how popular it would be - nearly 5,000 people had signed up since last September but resources had only been allocated to process 1,500 applications annually.

Olwen Moss, the Fishguard-based Farming Connect lead facilitator for the South West region, said there had been a considerable response from Pembrokeshire farmers. "A lot of people have benefited and many more will,'' she said.

Olwen said measures had been put in place to speed up applications. The three-day farm review had been reduced to a one-and-a-half day diagnostic evaluation in some areas.

"There have been many successful grant applications as a result of these reviews,'' she said.

Welsh Rural Development Minister Mike German, admitted some farmers had been kept waiting but insisted that Farming Connect was not a short-term fix.

"Initial demand for services was higher than anticipated. This is resulting in farmers having to wait longer than anticipated for their business development plans but this is an evolving service and we have put in place measures to improve and speed up the service.''

Out of the current £21 million budget, 71% is directly available for the capital grant schemes and 29% for the provision of services such as facilitators, development centres, machinery rings and demonstration farms.

Olwen Moss stressed that Farming Connect was not just about grants. "We are trying to get that message across to farmers,'' she said. "The service is also about technology transfer and supporting businesses in many other ways.''

Technology transfer refers to the demonstrations farms which have been established across Wales.

Farmers like Ellis Jones, of Trenichol, Llandeloy, have agreed to allow their farms to be used to demonstrate methods of best practice in farming techniques. Trenichol, an arable and sheep farm, together with 29 other demonstration farms, is being used to transfer new technologies and information to farmers.

Mr Jones said he was pleased the National Assembly was taking an interest in agriculture in Wales.

"In the current climate, with jobs disappearing, agriculture is still the backbone of the greater part of Wales,'' he said. "As far as I am concerned, Farming Connect is still a new venture by the National Assembly, I am just dipping my toe into the water.''

He will soon host an open day to demonstrate all aspects of lamb production.

Meanwhile, milk production will come under the spotlight at a Carmarthenshire dairy demonstration farm tomorrow (Thursday) afternoon.

Eiddwen and Edward Morgan, of Nantybwla Farm, Carmarthen, will host an open day focusing on cheese making. Their award-winning cheeses are made from milk from pedigree Holstein and Jersey cows. It is sold at the farm shop, at farmers' markets, through mail order and independent retailers across the UK.