FARMING CONNECT DEMONSTRATION SITE FARMER AWARDED BEEF FARMER OF THE YEAR AT THE ANNUAL FARMERS WEEKLY AWARDS./ FFERMWR SAFLE ARDDANGOS CYSWLLT FFERMIO YN DERBYN TEITL FFERMWR BFF Y FLWYDDYN YNG NGWOBRAU BLYNYDDOL Y FARMERS WEEKLY

Benchmarking and a keen eye for figures helps Farming Connect
demonstration farm farmers, Paul and Dwynwen Williams of Cae Haidd
make the grade at Beef Farmers of the year at the Annual Farmers
Weekly awards.

Since taking over Cae Haidd Ucha, Paul and Dwynwen Williams have
expanded the beef herd, increased sheep numbers and started a new
dairy calf-rearing enterprise. They now have 42 sucker cows, 600 ewes
and are bucket-rearing dairy-cross calves from high-health-status
herds.

The judges were impressed with Paul and Dwynwen’s increasing
efficiency and profit through data and technology, their proactive and
innovative approach, their knowledge of the market and their
passionate contribution to the wider agricultural industry. Hayley
Parrott, Farmers Weekly Deputy Livestock Editor and one of the judging
panel said:

“Paul and Dwynwen have achieved so much in so little time and
alongside everything else they do for the community and agricultural
industry.

Their attention to detail when it comes to the numbers is one of the
things which makes their system so efficient. Pulling the year-round
calving herd back to a block calving window at the same time as
tightening the calving index from 420 to 370 and improving conception
rates is no mean feat.

They know their target market and constantly assess and adapt their
system in order to reach it, which is one of the reasons they have
lifted their margin/cow so much in a few years and sit in the top
third of financial performance for suckler cow production.

It was a real pleasure to visit Cae Haidd. We left with no doubt that
Paul and Dwynwen will make a success of the farm and any
diversifications they venture into.”

Dewi Hughes, Technical Development Manager for Farming Connect said;
“We are delighted on behalf of Paul and his family in winning the
award, for the second year running one of our Demonstration Sites have
been awarded Beef Farmer of the year, following Richard Tudor and
family’s success last year. It’s a great honour to work with
progressive farmers that are ambitious to increase efficiency and
drive their business forward”

Paul Williams said – “As a family we’re very proud to have won the
competition and it’s certainly been an unforgettable experience. For
us, we don’t get up in the morning to earn anything more than a living
but we strive to make the most of the farm and the business.”

Paul and Dwynwen Williams have been working with Farming Connect’s
Demonstration network to further improve the output of the suckler cow
enterprise through the use of superior genetics and technology, to
evaluate and develop the sheep enterprise and to improve farm
profitability per hectare without increasing labour requirements.

“One of the elements that has helped us improve the business is the
fact that we’ve been benchmarking our suckler cow and sheep
enterprises. Also, as we’re part of the Farming Connect demonstration
network, we’ve been able to take advantage of the expertise available
through the service.

Gethin Davies, Farming Connect Red Meat Technical Officer said “It’s
great to see hard working people receive the recognition they deserve.
Paul and Dwynwen have an excellent approach to working life and takes
everything in their stride, they’re a pleasure to work with”.

For more information about on the innovative projects taking place at
Cae Haidd or the Farming Connect demonstration network, please visit
https://businesswales.gov.wales/farmingconnect/demonstration-network

Farming Connect provides knowledge transfer and advice to all
agricultural sectors and is funded by the Welsh Government Rural
Communities – Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded
by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh
Government.

FFERMWR SAFLE ARDDANGOS CYSWLLT FFERMIO YN DERBYN TEITL FFERMWR BFF Y
FLWYDDYN YNG NGWOBRAU BLYNYDDOL Y FARMERS WEEKLY

Mae meincnodi a chadw llygad barcud ar ffigyrau wedi cynorthwyo Paul
a Dwynwen Williams, Cae Haidd Ucha, ffermwyr arddangos Cyswllt
Ffermio, i gyrraedd y nod yng ngwobrau blynyddol y Farmers Weekly yr
wythnos diwethaf.

Ers cymryd yr awenau ar fferm Cae Haidd Ucha, mae Paul a Dwynwen
Williams wedi ehangu’r fuches bff, wedi cynyddu nifer y defaid ac wedi
sefydlu menter magu lloi llaeth newydd. Mae ganddynt bellach 42 o
wartheg sugno, 600 o famogiaid ac maent yn magu lloi llaeth croes o
fuchesi sydd statws uchel o ran iechyd.

Cafodd y beirniaid eu plesio gan agwedd rhagweithiol ac arloesol Paul
a Dwynwen, eu gwybodaeth am y farchnad a’u cyfraniad angerddol i’r
diwydiant amaeth ehangach. Dywedodd Hayley Parrott un o’r beirniaid;

“Mae Paul a Dwynwen wedi cyflawni gymaint mewn cyn lleied o amser ac
ochr yn ochr phopeth arall maen nhw’n ei wneud i’r gymuned a’r
diwydiant amaeth.

Mae eu sylw at fanylder o ran ffigyrau’n un o’r ffactorau sy’n gwneud
eu system mor effeithlon Nid yw dod buches sy’n lloia gydol y
flwyddyn i mewn i gyfnod lloia mewn bloc ar yr un pryd lleihau’r
mynegai lloia o 420 i 370 a gwella cyfraddau cenhedlu yn beth hawdd
i’w wneud.

Maen nhw’n adnabod eu marchnad darged ac yn parhau i asesu ac addasu
eu system er mwyn ei gyrraedd, sef un o’r rhesymau eu bod wedi codi eu
helw fesul buwch gymaint o fewn ychydig flynyddoedd a bod yn nhraean
uchaf perfformiad ariannol ar gyfer cynhyrchiant gwartheg sugno.

Roedd hi’n bleser ymweld fferm Cae Haidd. Does dim amheuaeth y bydd
Paul a Dwynwen yn llwyddiannus gyda’r fferm ac unrhyw fentrau
arallgyfeirio a wneir ganddynt.

DYWEDODD DEWI HUGHES, RHEOLWR DATBLYGU TECHNEGOL CYSWLLT FFERMIO;
“Rydym yn falch iawn dros Paul a’r teulu am lwyddo ennill y teitl.
Dyma’r ail flwyddyn yn olynol i un o’n Safleoedd Arddangos ennill
teitl Ffermwr Bff y Flwyddyn, wedi llwyddiant Richard Tudor a’r teulu
y llynedd. Mae’n fraint cael gweithio gyda ffermwyr blaengar sy’n
awyddus i wella effeithlonrwydd ac arwain eu busnesau yn eu blaen.”

Dywedodd Paul Williams – “Fel teulu, rydym yn falch iawn o ennill y
teitl hwn ac mae’n bendant wedi bod yn brofiad bythgofiadwy. I ni, ein
prif nod yw ennill bywoliaeth, ond rydym hefyd yn gwneud pob ymdrech i
wneud y gorau o’r fferm a’r busnes.”

Mae Paul a Dwynwen Williams wedi bod yn gweithio gyda rhwydwaith
Arddangos Cyswllt Ffermio i gynyddu allbwn y fenter gwartheg sugno
ymhellach trwy ddefnyddio geneteg a thechnoleg uwchraddol i werthu a
datblygu’r fenter defaid ac i wella proffidioldeb y fferm fesul hectar
heb gynyddu gofynion llafur.

“Un o’r elfennau sydd wedi ein cynorthwyo i wella’r busnes yw’r
ffaith ein bod wedi bod yn meincnodi ein mentrau gwartheg sugno a
defaid. Hefyd, gan ein bod yn rhan o rwydwaith arddangos Cyswllt
Ffermio, rydym wedi gallu manteisio ar yr arbenigedd sydd ar gael fel
rhan o’r rhaglen.

DYWEDODD GETHIN DAVIES, SWYDDOG TECHNEGOL CIG COCH CYSWLLT FFERMIO
“Mae’n braf gweld pobl sy’n gweithio mor galed yn derbyn
cydnabyddiaeth haeddiannol. Mae gan Paul a Dwynwen agwedd ardderchog
tuag at waith ac mae’n bleser gweithio nhw”.

Am ragor o fanylion yngln ‘r prosiectau arloesol sy’n cael eu cynnal
ar fferm Cae Haidd Ucha neu rwydwaith arddangos Cyswllt Ffermio, ewch
i
https://businesswales.gov.wales/farmingconnect/cy/rhwydwaith-arddangos