Telephone: 01570 471 516
Email: Click here
The Welsh Government recently reviewed its proposals for supporting farmers after Brexit. Responses are required by 30 October 2019. The Consultation Document can be viewed by following this link and here you can also download a response form or respond online.
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.
If you intend to carry out an agricultural improvement project (e.g. ploughing, re-seeding, direct drilling or new drainage) on any semi-natural land, you will need a screening decision from the Welsh Government (WG) before you can proceed.
You will need to submit a Screening Application form (click here) to your local WG Divisional Office before proceeding with your project. Responses can take up to 35 days, so please plan ahead. There is no charge for applications, and decisions are valid for 3 years. Breaching the Regulations is illegal, and may lead to prosecution and penalties on your Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) or Rural Development Scheme payments.
Further information and guidance is available on the WG website or by contacting the Customer Contact Centre on 0300 062 5004 or EIA.unit@gov.wales
CARA staff will also be pleased to assist you with your application. Tel: 01570 471516
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.
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;
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
The Expression of Interest (EOI) for the 6th window (Landscape & Pollinators theme) opened on 1st April 2019 and will close at midnight on 10th May 2019. As in previous windows, an existing Glastir contract is NOT NECESSARY to be eligible.
Glastir Small Grants is a standalone scheme providing a maximum of £7,500 funding per theme for Capital Works Projects. Further details, including scheme rules are available on the Welsh Government website.
If you require further assistance with your application via your RPW on-line account, please contact us here at CARA on 01570 471516.
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.