Graze for greater profit with support from Farming Connect’s Master Grass

Farming Connect is offering Welsh farmers the opportunity to hone their grassland management expertise through a series of dedicated courses.

Wales Master Grass aims to help farmers to develop their knowledge and skills in grassland management, providing them with practical skills and confidence to implement changes on their own farms.

The three-day higher level dedicated grassland workshops are specific to each sector – dairy, beef and sheep – and will be held this spring at Farming Connect’s Innovation Sites in north and west Wales, at Gelli Aur College in Carmarthenshire, and Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor, Glynllifon.

At these, farmers will learn about selecting and establishing appropriate grass species and varieties for intensive rotational grazing.

There will also be a focus on grazing infrastructure and soil management and on measuring and interpreting grass growth measurements to inform decision making for grazing livestock.

Dewi Hughes, Technical Development Manager at Farming Connect, says with this knowledge farms could improve their milk yield and liveweight gains from grazed grass and forage and reduce overall input costs.

Grazed grass now underpins the systems on many dairy, beef and sheep businesses in Wales thanks to multiple Farming Connect initiatives, including discussion group meetings, themed clinics and subsidised soil testing.

Farming Connect is now taking this a step further with a project solely dedicated to grassland matters, says Mr Hughes.

“A range of opportunities for farmers to enhance their grassland management skills and understanding are already available through Farming Connect and, as a result, Welsh farmers had become more knowledgeable in this area,’’ he explains.

“We need to make sure that we continue to offer suitable information to continue the learning progression. Master Grass offers a higher leveltraining so that continued progression is available to specialist grassland farmers.’’

This project has received funding through 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.

For further information and an application form visit the Farming Connect website.

Pori i ennill mwy o elw gyda chefnogaeth cynllunMeistr ar Borfa Cyswllt Ffermio

Mae Cyswllt Ffermio’n rhoi cyfle i ffermwyr Cymru hogi eu sgiliau arbenigol mewn rheoli glaswelltir drwy gynnal cyfres o gyrsiau ar y pwnc penodol yma.

Nod Meistr ar Borfa Cymru yw helpu ffermwyr i ddatblygu eu gwybodaeth a’u sgiliau mewn rheoli glaswelltir, a rhoi sgiliau ymarferol a hyder iddynt i wneud newidiadau ar eu ffermydd eu hunain.

Mae’r gweithdai tri diwrnod yn rhoi hyfforddiant lefel uwch yn benodol am laswelltir mewn perthynas â’r tri sector – bîff, llaeth a defaid – a bydd y rhain yn cael eu cynnal yn ystod y gwanwyn ar Safleoedd Arloesedd Cyswllt Ffermio yng ngogledd a gorllewin Cymru, yng Ngholeg Gelli Aur yn Sir Gaerfyrddin, ac yng Ngholeg Meirion-Dwyfor, Glynllifon.

Ar y cyrsiau yma, bydd ffermwyr yn dysgu sut i ddewis a sefydlu mathau ac amrywiaethaupriodol o laswellt ar gyfer poricylchdrodwys.

Bydd ffocws hefyd ar reoli pridd a seilwaithpori ac ar fesur a dehonglimesuriadautyfiant y glaswellt i helpu i wneud penderfyniadau am y da byw sy’n pori.

Yn ôl Dewi Hughes, RheolwrDatblyguTechnegol Cyswllt Ffermio, bydd ffermwyr sydd â’r wybodaeth yma’n gallu gwella eu cynnyrch llaeth a’ucyfraddau pesgi o borthiant a glaswellt wedi’i bori a gostwng eu costaumewnbwn yn gyffredinol.

Mae porfa’nsylfaen i systemau llawer o fusnesau bîff, llaeth a defaid yng Nghymru erbyn hyn, diolch i nifer o fentrau Cyswllt Ffermio, yn cynnwys cyfarfodydd grŵp trafod, clinigau ar themâu penodol a phrofion pridd gyda chymhorthdal.

Mae Cyswllt Ffermio’n cymryd hyn gam ymhellach erbyn hyn gyda phrosiect wedi’i ymroddi’ngyfangwbl i faterion glaswelltir, meddai Mr Hughes.

“Mae Cyswllt Ffermio eisoes yn cynnig cyfleoedd o bob math i helpu ffermwyr wella eu dealltwriaetha’u sgiliau mewn rheoli glaswelltir ac, o ganlyniad, mae ffermwyr Cymru wedi dod yn fwy gwybodus yn y maes yma,” meddai.

“Rhaid i ni sicrhau ein bod yn parhau i gynnig gwybodaeth addas fel eu bod yn parhau i ddysgu mwy. Mae Meistr ar Borfa’ncynnig hyfforddiant lefel uwch fel bod ffermwyr glaswelltir arbenigol yn gallu parhau i symud ymlaen.”

Mae’r prosiect yma wedi derbyn cyllid drwy Gymunedau Gwledig Llywodraeth Cymru – Rhaglen Datblygu Gwledig 2014-2020, sy’n cael ei hariannu gan Lywodraeth Cymru a Chronfa Amaethyddol Ewrop ar gyfer Datblygu Gwledig.

I gael rhagor o wybodaeth a ffurflen gais ewch i wefan Cyswllt Ffermio.