Nuffield Scholars to share research findings at Wales Farming Conference

Three farmers who have travelled the globe researching topics ranging from soil health to conservation grazing will present their findings at the Wales Farming Conference in February.

Powys livestock farmer Richard Tudor will be joined on the conference platform by fellow Nuffield Scholars, Welsh-born lamb producer Geraint Powell and Scottish livestock and poultry farmer Alexander Brewster.

All three were awarded Nuffield Scholarships and, having recently presented their findings at the Nuffield Farming Conference in Glasgow, they will present again for Welsh farmers on the Royal Welsh Showground in Llanelwedd.

Richard, who studied the health and fertility of grassland soils, is putting his research into practice at Llysun near Welshpool.

The upland holding, a Farming Connect Demonstration Farm, is currently being converted from beef and sheep to dairy.

Richard said there is growing recognition of the importance of grazing in maintaining and improving soil health.  

“Understanding the chemical, physical and biological properties of soil is key to improving upland grassland livestock performance and adopting best practice grazing techniques,’’ he said.

“As livestock farmers, our general knowledge and understanding of soils is limited and working with naturally acidic soils, changing weather patterns, heavier machinery and disappearing soil biology there is an urgent need for greater knowledge of the relationship between our soils and growing healthy plants, healthy livestock and a healthy environment.’’

His study took him to countries with similar climatic conditions to the UK, including New Zealand, Australia and North America.

For Geraint Powell, his research revolved around conservation grazing, the potential for payments for ecological services and the re-introduction of livestock into arable systems.

Geraint, who was brought up on a family in the Brecon Beacons and now lambs 4,200 New Zealand Romney ewes in the Cotswolds, studied best practice techniques for developing systems that are productive and profitable but that also achieve environmental targets set out by regulatory bodies.

“What sparked my interest in this subject was what I have been doing for the last 12 years, which is grazing stewardship land as a grazier and balancing productivity with environmental prescriptions,’’ he said.

The compromise between productivity and conservation is a subject that needs to be studied and addressed, he added.

“A balance of cropping, grazing and conservation can be achieved that can be both productive and ecologically diverse which can produce food profitably,’’ said Geraint, who studied in North and South America, Mongolia, Europe and the UK.

Alexander Brewster manages 5000 hectares of Less Favoured Area (LFA) land in Perthshire, where they have a 260-cow herd, 2400 Hill ewes and a large flock of organic free-range hens.

His research examined techniques that can increase the business resilience and profitability of the average livestock farm. Linking the importance of nutrient cycles and genetic resilience.

Alex also incorporated technology and genetics in his study. “We have to be able to measure to manage and EID is possibly one of the most cost-effective tools to enter the livestock industry, the instant feedback of liveweight gain, the variation between sire groups and all directly linked to business profit,’’ he said. 

He travelled to South America and Oceania and a lot of his early research was gathered in the UK. Alex was awarded the prestigious John Stewart Shield for the best presentation at the Nuffield Farming Conference in Glasgow in November.

The Wales Farming Conference, arranged by Menter a Busnes on behalf of the Welsh Government, will take place on February 7^th at the Royal Welsh Showground in Llanelwedd

The impressive speaker line up also includes ultra-marathon runner Chris Moon MBE who lost a lower arm and leg in a landmine accident in Africa. Chris will draw on his unique experiences to illustrate principles people can use in their daily lives to help them challenge the ‘concept of limitation’, which is faced by many in the agriculture industry as it prepares for an uncertain future outside the EU. Wales will also welcome Lloyd and Daphne Holterman from Wisconsin, USA who are at the forefront of sustainable dairy farming in the USA.

The programme will include breakout sessions with progressive beef, sheep and dairy farmers who have implemented positive changes to their businesses. It will also provide insight into trials and projects taking place at Farming Connect demonstration sites across Wales. 

Booking is essential. Visit www.gov.wales/farmingconnect to book online or call Heledd George on 01970 636282 or email: heledd.george@menterabusnes.co.uk

Farming Connect is funded by the Welsh Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.

Ysgolorion Nuffield yn rhannu canfyddiadau yng Nghynhadledd Ffermio Cymru

Bydd tri o ffermwyr sydd wedi teithio’r byd yn ymchwilio i bynciau’n amrywio o iechyd pridd i bori cadwraethol yn cyflwyno eu canfyddiadau yng Nghynhadledd Ffermio Cymru ym mis Chwefror.

Yn ymuno â ffermwr da byw o Bowys, Richard Tudor, ar lwyfan y gynhadledd fydd cyd-ysgolorion Nuffield, Geraint Powell ffermwr a anwyd yng Nghymru sy’n cynhyrchu ŵyn ac Alexander Brewster, ffermwr da byw a dofednod o’r Alban.

Dyfarnwyd Ysgoloriaethau Nuffield i’r tri ohonynt, ac ar ôl cyflwyno eu canfyddiadau’n ddiweddar yng Nghynhadledd Ffermio Nuffield yng Nglasgow, byddant yn gwneud yr un modd i ffermwyr Cymru ar faes y Sioe Frenhinol yn Llanelwedd.

Mae Richard, a astudiodd iechyd a ffrwythlondeb priddoedd porfa, yn rhoi ei ymchwil ar waith yn Llysun ger y Trallwng.

Ar hyn o bryd mae’r fferm fynydd, sy’n Fferm Arddangos Cyswllt Ffermio, yn y broses o newid o fod yn fferm bîff a defaid i fod yn fferm laeth.

Dywed Richard fod cydnabyddiaeth gynyddol o bwysigrwydd pori er mwyn cynnal a gwella iechyd y pridd.  

Meddai, “Mae deall priodweddau cemegol, ffisegol a biolegol pridd yn allweddol i wella perfformiad da byw ar borfa fynydd a mabwysiadu arfer gorau o ran technegau pori .

“Fel ffermwyr da byw, cyfyngedig yw ein gwybodaeth a’n dealltwriaeth gyffredinol am bridd ac o ystyried ein bod yn gweithio gyda phriddoedd sy’n naturiol asidig, patrymau tywydd cyfnewidiol, peiriannau trymach, a bioleg pridd sy’n diflannu, mae angen ar fyrder i ni gael mwy o wybodaeth am y berthynas rhwng ein priddoedd a thyfu planhigion iach, da byw iach ac amgylchedd iach.’’

Fel rhan o’i astudiaethau aeth i wledydd gydag amodau tebyg o ran hinsawdd i’r DU, yn cynnwys Seland Newydd, Awstralia a Gogledd America.

Roedd ymchwil Geraint Powell yn canolbwyntio ar bori cadwraethol, y posibilrwydd o daliadau ar gyfer gwasanaethau ecolegol ac ail-gyflwyno da byw i systemau âr.

Bu Geraint, a fagwyd ar fferm deuluol ym Mannau Brycheiniog ac sydd bellach yn wyna 4,200 o famogiaid New Zealand Romney yn y Cotswolds, yn astudio technegau arfer gorau ar gyfer datblygu systemau sy’n gynhyrchiol a phroffidiol ond sydd hefyd yn cyflawni targedau amgylcheddol a osodir gan gyrff rheoleiddio.

Meddai, “Yr hyn a ddenodd fy niddordeb at y pwnc yma oedd yr hyn yr wyf wedi bod yn ei wneud am y 12 mlynedd diwethaf, sef pori tir Cynllun Stiwardiaeth Cefn Gwlad a chydbwyso cynhyrchiant gydag amodau amgylcheddol.

Mae’r cyfaddawd rhwng cynhyrchiant a chadwraeth yn bwnc y mae angen ei astudio a rhoi sylw iddo, ychwanegodd.

“Mae’n bosibl cydbwyso cnydau, pori a chadwraeth mewn ffordd gynhyrchiol ac ecolegol amrywiol sy’n gallu cynhyrchu bwyd yn broffidiol,” meddai Geraint, a astudiodd yng Ngogledd a De America, Mongolia, Ewrop a’r DU.

Mae Alexander Brewster yn rheoli 5000 hectar o Dir Llai Ffafriol yn Swydd Perth, lle mae ganddynt fuches o 260, 2400 o ddefaid mynydd a nifer sylweddol o ieir maes organig.

Fel rhan o’i waith ymchwil edrychodd ar dechnegau sy’n gallu cynyddu cadernid busnes a phroffidioldeb y fferm da byw nodweddiadol gan gysylltu pwysigrwydd cylchoedd maetholion â chadernid genynnol.

Hefyd edrychodd Alex ar dechnoleg a geneteg yn ei astudiaeth. “Mae’n rhaid i ni allu mesur er mwyn rheoli ac o bosibl EID yw un o’r dulliau mwyaf cost effeithiol i fod yn rhan o’r diwydiant da byw, yr adborth syth am gynnydd o ran pwysau byw, yr amrywiannau rhwng grwpiau’r tad a’r cysylltiad uniongyrchol rhwng y rhain i gyd a phroffidioldeb y busnes.

Teithiodd i Dde America a Oceania a chasglodd lawer o’i ymchwil cynnar yn y DU. Dyfarnwyd Tarian John Stewart i Alex am y cyflwyniad gorau yng Nghynhadledd Ffermio Nuffield yng Nglasgow ym mis Tachwedd.

Cynhelir Cynhadledd Ffermio Cymru, a drefnir gan Menter a Busnes ar ran Llywodraeth Cymru, ar 7 Chwefror ar faes y Sioe Frenhinol yn Llanelwedd.

Ymysg y siaradwyr arbennig yno fydd y rhedwr marathon eithafol Chris Moon MBE a gollodd ran o’i fraich a’i goes mewn damwain ffrwydrad tir yn Affrica. Bydd Chris yn defnyddio ei brofiadau unigryw i ddangos egwyddorion y gall pobl eu defnyddio yn eu bywydau bob dydd i’w helpu i herio’r ‘cysyniad o gyfyngiadau’, a wynebir gan nifer yn y diwydiant amaethyddol wrth iddo baratoi at ddyfodol ansicr y tu allan i’r UE. Hefyd bydd Cymru’n croesawu Lloyd a Daphne Holterman o Wisconsin, UDA sy’n ffermwyr blaenllaw ym myd ffermio llaeth cynaliadwy yn UDA.

Bydd y rhaglen yn cynnwys sesiynau trafod gyda ffermwyr bîff, defaid a llaeth blaengar, sydd wedi gweithredu newidiadau cadarnhaol i’w busnesau. Bydd hefyd yn rhoi cipolwg ar gynlluniau treialu a phrosiectau a gynhelir ar safleoedd arddangos Cyswllt Ffermio drwy Gymru. 

Mae’n hanfodol neilltuo lle. Ewch i https://businesswales.gov.wales/farmingconnect/cy i archebu lle ar-lein neu ffoniwch Heledd George ar 01970 636282 neu e-bostiwch: heledd.george@menterabusnes.co.uk

Mae Cyswllt Ffermio’n cael ei ariannu gan Lywodraeth Cymru a Chronfa Amaethyddol Ewrop ar gyfer Datblygu Gwledig.