The Farmers’ Union of Wales today welcomed confirmation from the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) that the Farming Connect subsidised advisory service can offer an 80% subsidy on the cost of mentoring and advice towards applying to enter the Glastir land management scheme.
“Whilst consultants cannot be used to fill in the actual forms, they can be used for mentoring, advice and guidance,” said the FUW’s land use and parliamentary committee chairman Richard Vaughan.
“We welcome this step as the union has been pushing for this service to be more pro-active in helping farmers access Glastir.”
WAG revealed Farming Connect cannot fund consultants to complete applications on behalf of farmers for Glastir -but they can help with the points calculation, scorecard and advise or mentor on impact and management options that a business could consider.
Examples of mentoring and advice farmers can receive through the Whole Farm Plan (WFP) and Farm Advisory Service (FAS) to help their business make an informed decision to apply for Glastir include: assessment of habitats, species, biodiversity, historical features on the farm and appropriate management of these habitats and features.
Other examples could include advice on options for the farm and changes to the farming systems – e.g. identifying risks to the environment, protection and enhancement of habitats and features, and any changes to the farm system that may be required.
Throughout July, August and September Farming Connect will run a series of Glastir training events.
See http://www.fuw.org.uk/read-press-release/items/484.html for full details
