The right advice provides cost-effective slurry solutions for Fishguard Dairy Farmer/Y cyngor cywir yn cynnig atebion slyri cost-effeithiol ar gyfer ffermwr llaeth o Abergwaun

Simple and cost-effective changes to slurry and effluent controls have allowed a Pembrokeshire dairy farm to significantly reduce the volume of waste captured in its lagoon and to make better use of on-farm nutrients.

The Williams family embarked on a ‘stock check’ of existing storage capacity and infrastructure at 400-acre Trebover Farm near Fishguard.

Central to this was infrastructure advice on slurry and manure storage from Keith Owen, an independent buildings and environmental adviser, funded partly by Farming Connect.

Prior to this exercise, the Williams’ had anticipated that they would need to invest heavily in new storage facilities but Mr Owen instead recommended a series of measures to ease pressure on the existing underground store and to comply with proposed pollution directives.

Improvements included diverting dirty water away from the lagoon into a separate storage facility and fitting gutters and downspouts to buildings to prevent rainwater entering the lagoon.

his has spared the business the cost of major capital investment says Randal Williams, who farms with his father, Phil, trading as Parc y Morfa Farms Limited.

Although the changes cost in the region of £40,000, building a new store would have been more than double this, Mr Williams calculates.

“We needed good advice on the best way forward and were very pleased with the guidance we received, it has saved us a lot of money.

“By keeping as much clean water as possible out of the slurry system, the lagoon does not need to be emptied as often and the slurry is more valuable as a fertiliser.’’

Mr Williams, who supplies milk from his 220-cow herd to First Milk and is a member of its nutrient efficiency scheme, also received a Nutrient Management Plan (NMP) through Farming Connect’s Advisory Service – NMPs are fully funded for groups of three or more eligible farm businesses, or up to 80% funded on a one-to-one basis.

Soils in all his fields were sampled and this threw up some surprises. “There was a field that gets no slurry or muck because it is steep, just an application of bagged fertiliser twice a year, but the P, K and pH were spot on,’’ says Mr Williams.

The NMP, carried out by Aled Roberts of ADAS, is helping him to better management his on-farm nutrients. “We are now using the slurry when and where it is needed instead of just applying it to the land because the lagoon needs emptying and this means we are not applying as much bagged fertiliser.’’

Mr Williams’ message to other farmers is to make full use of the Farming Connect service,

“Seek the advice,’’ he says. “Getting the right advice has saved us thousands of pounds and has given us confidence that we are doing the right things with our slurry management.’’

Rhiannon James, Farming Connect development officer for North Pembrokeshire, said Mr Williams’s experience had shown that getting the right advice can provide cheaper solutions for farms than replacing existing infrastructure.

“The support from Farming Connect is there to help farmers improve their businesses and make cost savings too,” she said.

“A farm business might be worried that they are going to have to make significant investment to comply with water quality requirements but that might not be the case.

“Having advice can help farmers make informed decisions that are sustainable for their businesses. Farmers don’t have to go it alone, there is a variety of support available to suit all sorts of situations. In particular, eligible farmers can access one-to-one on farm advice on nutrient management and infrastructure. They can access this information by speaking to their local Development Officer.”

Funding for the project has been provided by the Welsh Government’s Rural Communities Rural Development Programme 2014-2020.

Y cyngor cywir yn cynnig atebion slyri cost-effeithiol ar gyfer ffermwr llaeth o Abergwaun

Mae newidiadau syml a chost effeithiol i fesurau rheoli slyri ac elifion wedi bod yn fodd i fferm laeth yn Sir Benfro leihau’n sylweddol faint o ddŵr sy’n llifo i’w lagŵn a gwneud gwell defnydd o faetholion ar y fferm.

Dechreuodd y teulu Williams ‘wirio’ capasiti storio presennol a’r seilwaith ar eu fferm  400 erw, Trebover Farm ger Abergwaun.

Roedd cyngor gan Keith Owen, cynghorydd adeiladau ac amgylcheddol annibynnol, ynglŷn â seilwaith ar gyfer storio slyri a thail wedi’u ariannu yn rhannol gan Cyswllt Ffermio, yn hanfodol i hyn.

Cyn yr ymarferiad hwn, roedd y teulu Williams wedi rhagweld y byddai angen iddynt fuddsoddi’n helaeth mewn cyfleusterau storio newydd, ond yn hytrach, argymhellodd Mr Owen gyfres o fesurau i leihau’r pwysau ar y storfa bresennol tanddaear a chydymffurfio â chyfarwyddebau llygredd arfaethedig.

Roedd gwelliannau’n cynnwys dargyfeirio dŵr budr o’r lagŵn i gyfleuster storio ar wahân a gosod cwteri a draeniau ar yr adeiladau i atal dŵr glaw rhag llifo i’r lagŵn.

Mae hyn wedi arbed cost buddsoddiad cyfalaf mawr i’r busnes yn ôl Randal Williams, sy’n ffermio gyda’i dad, Phil, gan fasnachu o dan yr enw Parc y Morfa Farms Limited.

Er bod y newidiadau wedi costio tua £40,000, byddai adeiladu cyfleuster storio newydd wedi costio dwywaith gymaint â hyn, yn ôl amcangyfrifon Mr Williams.

“Roedd angen cyngor da arnom ynglŷn â’r ffordd orau i fynd ymlaen ac roeddem yn falch iawn â’r cyfarwyddyd a gawsom, mae wedi arbed llawer o arian i ni.

“Mae cadw cymaint â phosibl o ddŵr glân allan o’r system wedi golygu nad oes angen gwagio’r lagŵn mor aml ac mae’r slyri’n fwy gwerthfawr fel gwrtaith.’’

Hefyd derbyniodd Mr Williams, sy’n cyflenwi llaeth o’i fuches o 220 o wartheg i First Milk ac sy’n aelod o’i gynllun effeithlonrwydd maetholion, Gynllun Rheoli Maetholion (NMP) drwy Wasanaeth Cynghori Cyswllt Ffermio – caiff y cynlluniau hyn eu hariannu llawn ar gyfer grwpiau o dri neu fwy o fusnesau fferm cymwys, neu hyd at 80% o nawdd ar sail un i un.

Samplwyd y priddoedd yn ei holl gaeau a chafwyd canlyniadau annisgwyl. “Ar gae na roddir unrhyw slyri na thail arno oherwydd ei fod yn serth, ond yn hytrach dim ond bagiau gwrtaith dwywaith y flwyddyn, roedd y P, K a’r pH yn berffaith,’’ meddai Mr Williams.

Mae’r Cynllun, a luniwyd gan Aled Roberts ADAS, yn eu helpu i reoli maetholion ei fferm yn well. “Bellach rydym yn defnyddio’r slyri pryd a phan fo’i angen yn lle ei chwalu ar y tir oherwydd bod angen gwagio’r lagŵn. Mae hyn yn golygu nad ydym yn defnyddio cymaint o fagiau gwrtaith.’’

Neges Mr Williams i ffermwyr eraill yw y dylent wneud defnydd llawn o wasanaeth Cyswllt Ffermio,

“Gofynnwch am gyngor,” meddai. “Mae cael y cyngor iawn wedi arbed miloedd o bunnoedd i ni ac wedi rhoi hyder i ni ein bod yn rheoli slyri yn y ffordd iawn.’’

Dywed Rhiannon James, Swyddog Datblygu Cyswllt Ffermio ar gyfer Gogledd Sir Benfro, fod profiad Williams wedi dangos bod cael y cyngor iawn yn gallu arwain at atebion rhatach i ffermydd yn hytrach na newid y seilwaith presennol.

“Mae cymorth ar gael gan Cyswllt Ffermio i helpu ffermwyr i wella eu busnesau ac arbed costau hefyd,” meddai.

“Efallai bod busnesau fferm yn pryderu eu bod am orfod buddsoddi’n sylweddol i gydymffurfio â gofynion ansawdd dŵr ond mae’n bosibl nad yw hynny’n angenrheidiol.

“Trwy gael cyngor gall ffermwyr wneud penderfyniadau gwybodus sy’n gynaliadwy ar gyfer eu busnes. Nid oes raid i ffermwyr weithredu ar eu pennau eu hunain, mae bob math o gymorth ar gael sy’n addas i bob math o sefyllfa. Yn benodol, gall ffermwyr cymwys gael mynediad i gyngor un-i-un ar y fferm ar gyfer reoli maeth a seilwaith

Gallant gael yr wybodaeth hon drwy siarad â’u Swyddog Datblygu Lleol.”

Ariennir y prosiect gan Gymunedau Gwledig Llywodraeth Cymru – Rhaglen Datblygu Gwledig 2014-2020.