Due to the current Corona Virus pandemic it is important to respect government policy and health advice. Although currently this does not prevent us from either visiting you, or you visiting the office, we must take the virus into account.

 For Single Application Form (SAF) purposes, our current advice is that we will complete appointments via telephone where possible. In cases where there are land changes, cropping or other complications, we will ask you to attend the office in person.

 For book keeping customers who are worried about visits, we can arrange to call by and pick up the information, it can be left in a safe place on the farm for us to collect.

 Where there is a necessity to meet face to face, please alert us if you have any of the reportable symptoms of Corona Virus. We may need to review the situation as time proceeds.

 If you wish to discuss the matter further please do not hesitate to phone the office or Iwan (07929164013), John (07929164011) or Wendy (07929164012)

 Many thanks for your cooperation.

 CARA Ltd

Following its success in 2019, Dwr Cymru / Welsh Water have relaunched their free and confidential pesticide disposal scheme for farmers and land managers in Wales.

It includes:

• Pesticides
• Herbicides / Weed killer
• Slug pellets
• Sheep dip
• Rodenticides

Food Centre Wales is a dedicated food technology centre offering advice, technical services and training to business start-ups, SME’s and existing food manufacturers. 

Whether you have a great idea to develop a new food product and don’t know where to start, or you are an established manufacturer who needs help troubleshooting or gaining accreditation, FCW has a team of expert Food Technologists who can help guide and support you through the whole process.

The centre boasts a dedicated Research and Development building with unrivalled facilities for food manufacturers to develop new and existing products. The technical facility is designed to enable food producers to manufacture products on a small industrial scale.  Expert Food Technologists are on hand to assist the use of all processing areas and equipment, as well as offer advice and guidance throughout.  They will help you scale up your recipes, train you in the use of the equipment, set processing conditions – all necessary for your manufacture.

Click here for contact details and a link to the FCW website.

Expressions of Interest for the 7th Window of the Farm Business Grant (FBG) will open on 2 March 2020 and close at midnight on 10 April 2020. 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. Click here to book a place.

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

03/03/2020 – Glasdir, Llanrwst LL26 0DF

05/03/2020 – Penglais School , Aberystwyth SY23 3AW

10/03/2020 –The Princess Royal Theatre, Port Talbot SA13 1PJ

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.

Cross Compliance sets out the important regulatory baseline standards that all farmers must meet to receive Common Agricultur al Policy payments including Basic Payment Scheme or Rural Development land based schemes (e.g. Glastir) support in Wales.
The Verifiable Standards set out in detail the obligations of a farmer who receives payments under Cross Compliance and the Basic Payment Schemes. If you claim these payments, you must familiarise yourself with these standards.

Cross Compliance Verifiable Standards-2020

Any payment recipient found to be in breach of these standards will have their payment reduced, recovered or withheld.

NEGES BWYSIG   IMPORTANT MESSAGE

The BPS 2019 Support Scheme will be available for customers whose 2019 Single Application Form (SAF) will not be processed and ready for payment by the opening of the payment window on 2 December 2019.

The scheme will pay up to 90% of the anticipated value of your 2019 claim, and you are encouraged to consider applying in case of a long delay in processing your claim.

It is an OPT IN scheme, and you need to apply via your RPW Online account – the application will be available from 15 October until 29 November 2019.

• For those CARA clients who pay us the annual fee (£100 + VAT) to regularly check for messages on their RPW account – we will automatically apply for the 2019 Support Scheme on your behalf AT NO EXTRA CHARGE.
• For all other clients, should you wish CARA to apply for you, then please email or telephone us, quoting the name of your holding and Customer Reference Number (CRN) BEFORE THE CLOSING DATE (29/11/19). A CHARGE of £10 for this service will subsequently be added to your 2020 SAF invoice.

email: office@carawales.co.uk

Tel: 01570 471516

Expressions of Interest (EOI) for the 6th Window of the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Production Grant (SPG) opened on 2 September 2019 and will close at midnight on 11 October 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 (£125,000 spend) and the minimum is £12,000 (£30,000 spend). Applications are to be made via your Rural Payments Wales (RPW) on-line account. A general rules booklet is 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 venues and dates throughout Wales and to book a place.

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

Thursday 26 September 2019 – Royal Welsh Showground,  Llanelwedd, Builth Wells LD2 3SY

Innovation and Diversification Wales is a free event and will provide you with support, advice and guidance to improve your businesses and allow you to explore new ideas to improve profitability and sustainability. It will include trade stands, seminar areas, a practical funding and business advice area as well as demonstrations on the latest technology across the agricultural and forestry sector.

CARA Ltd is pleased to be one of the 100 Exhibitors at this event. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE!

Please register your interest in attending here.

VAT registered businesses with a turnover above the VAT registration threshold (currently £85,000) are now required to keep digital VAT business records and use MTD-compatible software to send returns for VAT periods that started on or after 01 April 2019. Businesses whose taxable turnover fall below the current VAT threshold can also sign up for MTD for VAT voluntarily.

CARA Ltd currently has capacity to take on new clients for VAT. Please contact Wendy Jenkins on 01570 471516 / 07929 164012 for further details.

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