New £30m Range of Farming Connect Services

Farming Connect has launched a new service to provide guidance on a number of issues relevant to farmers, including profitability, addressing climate change, safeguarding the environment and improving animal health and welfare.

Farming Connect is funded by £30m Assembly Government and European Commission funding through the Rural Development Plan for Wales 2007-13. It is a high-profile integrated service which will work closely with a range of partner organisations across Wales to provide one to one support, knowledge, expertise and training and advisory services tailored to farmers’ needs. 

Its aim is to encourage farm and forestry businesses to develop, to remain viable and to meet future challenges in a sustainable and innovative way which safeguards the future of the Welsh agricultural industry. Since it was established Farming Connect has helped over 7,000 farmers.

The new Farming Connect programme aims to build on this success and will offer a wide range of added value services to farming families and forestry businesses across Wales.

These will include new sector focused programmes tailored to specific farming/forestry needs including:

-  Dairy

-  Red Meat

-  Organic

-  Land Management

Along with:

-  Diversification awareness seminars

-  Agri-environment training

Farming Connect, through the Farm Advisory Service, also provides on-farm support via group training and mock farm inspections to help farmers with cross compliance. 

Services on offer immediately after registration include the new sector focussed programmes, Agrisgôp, and Awareness events.  Further services will roll-out over the summer including the one-to-one support and skills development.

Farmers can register now for the new service by contacting Tel: 08456 000813.