January 27, 2026 - 198 views
A new £11 million Farming Connect programme will be made available to support farmers across Wales as they prepare to transition to the new Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS).
The funding was announced by Deputy First Minister with responsibility for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, during a visit to Penllyn Estate Farm.
The programme will form an integral part of the Sustainable Farming Scheme and is intended to help farm businesses improve resilience and productivity. Support will focus on areas including soil health, animal health and welfare, pest management, benchmarking, and the development of new skills and knowledge.
Mr Irranca-Davies said the £11 million investment would allow Farming Connect to continue providing its services to farmers across Wales for another year, adding that the programme would play a key role in supporting the sector through the transition to the new scheme.
The Farming Connect programme will continue to be delivered by Mentera, which has been awarded the contract following a competitive tender process. The organisation has delivered the programme on behalf of the Welsh Government since 2011.
Eirwen Williams, director of rural programmes at Mentera, said the organisation was pleased to continue supporting Welsh farming at a time of significant change. She said the focus would remain on providing practical and trusted services to help farm businesses adapt and move forward.
During the visit, the Deputy First Minister also met Tom Homfray of Penllyn Estate, who outlined how Farming Connect had supported the business through training, professional development and assistance with grant applications.
Mr Homfray said the programme had helped staff gain essential qualifications and improve farm safety, while also supporting business planning and skills development. He described Farming Connect as good value for public money and said it had helped improve performance and profitability on the farm.
