Gwlad newsletter 14 February 2019

14 February 2019

Top Story

Email address closures – Scheme Management Unit (SMU) and Rural Payments Wales (RPW)

As part of our drive to improve the customer experience and manage enquiries effectively, RPW will no longer be monitoring or replying to emails sent to the following email addresses after 28 February 2019:
SMU@gov.wales
RPWONLINE@gov.wales
Customers are reminded that any digital communication needs to be sent via their individual RPW Online account whether that’s submitting enquiries or uploading documents. Customers can also contact our dedicated Customer Contact Centre on 0300 062 5004.

News

Sustainable Production Grant

The expression of interest window for the Sustainable Production Grant (SPG) will open on 4 March and close on 12 April 2019.

Farm Business Grant

The expression of interest window for the Farm Business Grant (FBG) will open on 4 March and close on 12 April 2019.

Single Application Form 2019

The Single Application Form 2019 will be available from 4 March. Guidance and information will be available online.

Farm Business Grant – window 5

The deadline for submitting invoices and the accompanying accountant’s letter for Window 5 is 19 March 2019. Customers must claim for all the items listed using their RPW Online Capital Works claim page.

Timber Investment scheme

The expression of interest window for round 4 of the Timber Investment scheme is now open. All applications must submitted by 28 April 2019.

Transfer of BPS Entitlements 2019

Farmers can transfer their BPS Entitlements by sale or lease with or without land or via inheritance. Transfer of Entitlements online forms are available for you to complete using your RPW Online account. You must notify the Welsh Government before midnight on 30 April 2019 of any transfers in order for you to make a claim on entitlements you are receiving, in a particular scheme year.

Manage My Land

Farm businesses are reminded that Manage My Land changes must be submitted within 30 days of the change taking place in order to avoid penalties.

RPW Online – New Customer Online Registration

Rural Payments Wales has now moved from its paper-based registration process to a new online registration system. This new process will allocate new customers a unique Customer Reference Number (CRN) and provide instant access to the RPW Online website.

Access your RPW online account on a regular basis

With the majority of communication from Rural Payment Wales now on line it is vital all businesses registered with RPW online access their accounts on a regular basis. Notification of application windows, progress with applications and claims, reminders and messages are all conveyed on line. If you need assistance please contact the RPW Customer Contact Centre on 03000625004 or the Farm Liaison Service team.

Preparing Wales for Brexit

The Preparing Wales website provides information which will help people and organisations prepare for Brexit in the immediate run-up to 29 March and into the transition period, particularly in the event of a no deal scenario.

Vets receive training to provide Export Health Certificates post-Brexit

Welsh Government funding is helping our food and farming sector to prepare for Brexit by supporting the training of veterinary surgeons required for them to certify produce of animal origin exported from Wales to the EU, in the event of a “no deal Brexit”.

Wales TB Dashboard

The Wales TB Dashboard for quarter 3 2018 has now been published and presents data for a range of disease indicators for each of the TB areas.

Keeping children safe on farms is a priority

The Wales Farm Partnership (WFSP), a collaboration of all the key agricultural stakeholder organisations in Wales, has issued a warning to all rural families reminding them that ‘children should not be in the workplace'.
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Setting reasonable goals can help Welsh farm businesses

At the annual Wales Farming Conference in Builth Wells, Wisconsin dairy farmer Lloyd Holterman insisted that every farm needed key performance indicators (KPIs) to progress.

What to do if you find a dead badger

Any individual who comes across a dead badger carcass should call 0808 1695110 for further information and instruction in dealing with these carcases.