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.

The Euro exchange rate has been set for calculating 2019 Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) payments.

BPS payments for Wales are set in Euros and then converted into sterling and the rate, an average of the European Central Bank exchange rates set in September will be:-

€1 = 0.89092

For reference, the rates during the last 4 years have been:-

2018  €1 = 0.89281

2017  €1 = 0.89470

2016 €1 = 0.85228

2015 €1 = 0.73129

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

If you take more than 20 cubic meters (4,400gallons) per day from a surface or groundwater source (eg. river, well or borehole) , you are likely to need a licence from Natural Resources Wales (NRW).

• you will lose your right to abstract water from 1 January 2020
• if you do not submit a valid application by 31 December 2019 and continue abstraction post this date then you will be committing a criminal offence for which NRW may take enforcement action against you (including prosecution).

The application fee will be either £135 or £1,500 depending on which type of licence is appropriate for your abstraction activity. It is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED that applications are submitted in September 2019 to allow NRW time to address any issues with your application.

Follow this link to the NRW website for more information, and please contact Kebeck (Keith Owen / Becky Jones) for any further advice/assistance on this matter.
tel: 07522 780346

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.

• Semi-natural land is any area containing less than 25% of improved agricultural land (e.g. perennial Ryegrass and/or White clover)
• Existing highly improved land (e.g. silage fields) will not require screening if it contains more than 25% of these species

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.