If your business uses, treats , recovers, stores or disposes of waste you may need a environmental permit to allow certain activities involving waste to be carried out. Most farmers manage waste in some form, so will need to be registered. There are about 60 waste exemptions, with those most relevant to farmers being;

• D1 depositing dredgings from streams and ditches on the banks
• D7 burning untreated wood or vegetation at the farm
• S1 storing waste in secure containers
• S2 storing waste in a secure place
• S3 storing sewage sludge prior to spreading
• T1 cleaning agricultural plastics and containers
• T6 chipping wood and plant tissue
• T23 composting vegetation waste
• T24 anaerobic digestion of manure and slurry
• U1 using clean builders rubble in the foundations of a new barn or shed, tracks or roads
• U8 using waste tyres on a silage clamp or waste wood shavings as animal bedding
• U10 spreading waste to agricultural land to provide benefit

Each registration lasts 3 years, and will then expire unless you re-register the exemptions you want to continue to use. To register/re-register online, please visit the NRW website by clicking here. Alternatively, you can call the Customer Care Centre on  0300 065 3000 who will advise you on how to register.

A number of registrations are due to expire in the Autumn of 2019 – you can check your expiry date by accessing the Public Register on the NRW website and entering the relevant search parameters.

If you require further assistance or advice with your registration, please contact the CARA office on  01570 471516.

During the lead up to Christmas 2018, CARA staff wore their festive jumpers to work, and at the same time donated money towards a good cause. As a result, £100 was raised and presented to Tir Dewi -a local charity comprising a team of volunteers who work to answer the needs and issues faced by farmers in the community.

For further information on Tir Dewi, please visit their website, telephone 0800 121 4722 or email info@tirdewi.co.uk

Letter from Tir Dewi

Expressions of Interest for the 5th Window of the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Production Grant (SPG) will open on 4 March 2019 and close at midnight on 12 April 2019.

The grant provides a maximum 40% contribution towards capital investments in equipment and machinery that have been pre-identified to support farmers to address nutrient management and safeguarding and improving water, soil and air quality by reducing pollution.

The maximum grant award is £50,000 and the minimum is £12,000. Applications are to be made via your Rural Payments Wales (RPW) on-line account. A general rules booklet and full list of eligible capital items are available on the Welsh Government website. Eligibility for the SPG requires a partner in the business to attend a ‘Sustainable Farming Roadshow’ organised by Farming Connect. Please click here for a list of dates and venues throughout Wales. Booking is mandatory – please call 08456 000 813 to book a place at one of these events.

Expressions of Interest for the 6th Window of the Farm Business Grant (FBG) will open on 4 March 2019 and close at midnight on 12 April 2019. It will provide farmers in Wales with a 40% contribution towards capital investments in equipment and machinery that have been pre-identified as offering clear and quantifiable benefits to farm enterprises. The minimum grant available is £3,000 and the maximum is £12,000. 

Applications are to be made via your Rural Payments Wales on-line account. A full list of eligible items linked to animal health, genetics and performance; crop management; energy efficiency; resource efficiency and ICT are available on the Welsh Government website. The key requirements is that the farm must have registered with Farming Connect before submitting an application, and that a partner/director in the farming business must attend a Farming for the Future Roadshow organised by Farming Connect, as listed on the FC website.

The dates for this round of Roadshows are as follows:-

 05/03/19 – William Aston Hall, Prifysgol Glyndwr Wrecsam University

06/03/19 – Elephant & Castle Hotel, Newtown

07/03/19 – Llanina Arms, Llanarth

12/03/19 – Ysgol Dyffryn Ogwen, Bethesda  

13/03/19 – St Mary’s Golf Club, Bridgend    

14/03/19 – Castle Hotel, Llandovery

It is a mandatory requirement that you attend one of these events in order to express an interest in the scheme If you would like further assistance with your application, please contact us here at CARA on 01570 471516.

The theme for this year’s annual CARA Autumn Seminar held at Llety Cynin, St.Clears was ‘Benchmark, Brexit & a Brave New World!’ It was well attended by representatives from Banks, Accountants, Law Firms, Land Agents and associated businesses.

The Welsh Government are consulting on the proposals for a planned, multi-year transition and seeking views on:-

• a new land management programme consisting of an Economic Resilience scheme and a Public Goods scheme.
• how the specific schemes that will deliver the support should be designed.

Please visit the Welsh Government website for the Consultation document, Summary leaflet and details of Open meetings with Welsh Government staff throughout Wales during September & October 2018.

Submit your comments by 30/10/18 in any of the following ways:-

• online form
• download/complete a form & return by email
• download/complete a form & return by post

Details of each method are to be found on the WG website.

Expressions of Interest for the 4th Window of the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Production Grant (SPG) opened on 03/09/18 and will close at midnight on 26/10/18. The grant provides a maximum 40% contribution towards capital investments in equipment and machinery that have been pre-identified to support farmers to address nutrient management and safeguarding and improving water, soil and air quality by reducing pollution.

• the maximum grant award is £50,000
• the minimum grant award is £12,000

Applications are to be made via your Rural Payments Wales (RPW) on-line account. A general rules booklet and full list of eligible capital items are available on the Welsh Government website.

Eligibility for the SPG requires a partner in the business to attend a ‘Sustainable Farming Roadshow’ organised by Farming Connect. Please click here for a list of dates and venues throughout Wales. Booking is mandatory – please call 08456 000 813 to book a place at one of these events.

Expressions of Interest for the 5th Window of the  Farm Business Grant (FBG) will open on  06/08/18 and close at midnight on 05/10/18. It will provide farmers in Wales with a 40% contribution towards capital investments in equipment and machinery that have been pre-identified as offering clear and quantifiable benefits to farm enterprises. The minimum grant available is £3,000 and the maximum is £12,000.

Please note that the closing date has now been extended to Friday 26 October 2018.

Applications are to be made via your Rural Payments Wales on-line account. A full list of  eligible items linked to animal health, genetics and performance; crop management; energy efficiency; resource efficiency and ICT  are available on the Welsh Government website.

The key requirements is that  the farm must have registered with Farming Connect before submitting an application, and that a partner/director in the farming business must attend a Farming for the Future Roadshow organised by Farming Connect, as listed on the FC website. The dates for this round of Roadshows are as follows:-

21/08/18 – Glasdir, Plas-yn-Dre, Llanrwst, Conwy LL26 0DF

23/08/18 – The Quinnell Lounge, Parc y Scrlets, Llanelli SA14 9UZ

30/08/18 – Old Food Hall, Royal Welsh Showground, Builth wells LD2 3SY

This will be your LAST OPPORTUNITY to attend one of these events which is a mandatory requirement to express an interest in the scheme

If you would like further assistance with your application, please contact us here at CARA on 01570 471516.

08/01/18 – deadline for submission of 1st window receipts

29/01/18 – 3rd Window opens

02/03/18 – deadline for submission of 2nd window receipts

16/03/18 – 3rd Window closes

Please note that for the third and future rounds of FBG, applications can be made through your Rural Payments Wales (RPW) online account.

Scheme information, including a list of eligible items can be found by clicking on this link,

Attendance at a Farming Connect Farming for the Future Roadshows is a requirement if you wish to make an application for the FBG. Places must be booked in advance by contacting 08456 000 813. Details of the next round of roadshows are as follows:-

17/01/18 – Bridgend

22/01/18 – Aberaeron

23/01/18 – Carmarthen

25/01/18 – Llandinam

30/01/18 – Bangor

01/02/18 – Bala

If you require further assistance with your application, please contact us here at CARA on 01570 471516.

The Expression of Interest (EOI) window for Glastir Advanced 2019 will open on 18 September and close at midnight on 20 October 2017. Participating in Glastir Entry is no longer necessary to access Glastir Advanced.

Further details can be found on the Welsh Governmnet website including the selection process for Expressions of Interest which must be made via your RPW Online account. If you require assistance with your application, please contact us here at CARA on 01570 471516.