Farmers urged to submit their ideas for £6m Nature Fund

Farmers in Carmarthenshire are being urged to share their ideas with the Welsh Government on how it can make best use of a new £6million Nature Fund.

Speaking at the recent AGM of the Carmarthenshire NFU Cymru county branch, NFU Cymru President, Ed Bailey, said, “The Welsh Government has recently announced the availability of a £6million fund in response to the State of Nature report produced earlier this year by a group of environmental organisations.”

Ed Bailey added, “Farmers have always played a key role in sustainable land management and the conservation of the natural environment, particularly through voluntary agri-environment schemes such as Glastir. However, this new Nature Fund is looking for ideas and projects that sit outside the remit of Glastir and our other agri-environment measures. Proposals will need to include practical actions that can help manage land and water, that will benefit nature, create opportunities for new jobs and income and help to support communities.”

Carmarthenshire farmer, Bernard Llewellyn, who is also NFU Cymru’s Rural Affairs Board Chairman commented, “There is an opportunity for farmers, either individually, or as groups, to put forward their ideas and to ensure that at least some of these funds are allocated to the farming community. However, time is at a premium and any proposals need to be presented to the Welsh Government by the deadline of Monday, 16 December.”