Cymraeg
‘The carbon footprint will become increasingly important, says Matthew Vaughan, ‘and I’m keen to make the best use of the farm’s resources.'
Over seven thousand Welsh farmers who are members of the NFU will receive a free full colour booklet over the next few days, which outlines the many benefits of planting small areas of native trees on farms. And Coed Cadw (the Woodland Trust), which has produced the booklet, plans also to distribute it to members of the Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) and CLA over next few weeks.
The booklet also includes more information about the attractive grants now available for tree planting in Wales, of up to £9,000 per hectare for farmers, with no loss of Single Farm Payment. These grants are available now and there is no need to be in the Glastir All Wales scheme, or the targeted element of Glastir.
Included in the booklet are four case studies of farmers who have gone about planting trees in order to manage their farms more effectively, from north, south east and west Wales, plus a foreword by the well-respected farmer John Lloyd Jones from Tywyn, who was formerly chairman of the Countryside Council for Wales.
In the foreword Mr Lloyd Jones says: “Within the space of twenty five or so years we have gone from the concept of surplus land to the realisation that we need our land and natural resources to work much harder in order to cope with rising demand due to population growth and the challenge of climate change. Making land work much harder will not just mean an increase in agricultural production, it also means the maintenance of eco-systems; clean air, water, soil fertility and stability on which production relies. Trees have a pivotal role to play in that process.”
One of the case studies featured is 27 year old Matthew Vaughan of Upper Nant-y-Felin, Bwlch near Brecon. Keen to make the fullest use of the farm’s steep, bracken covered slopes, he has already planted 2,000 - 3,000 mixed hard and softwoods, restored 6,000m of hedgerows and created two new orchards, through the existing Tir Gofal scheme. His efforts were rewarded by a visit from the Rural Affairs Minister last November.
Upper Nant-y-Felin, his farm is an 80 ha (200 acre) upland sheep and beef farm. It has been fully organic for three years and has 500 ewes and 20 suckler cows. The farm’s trees already provide significant financial benefits. Matthew’s three wood burning stoves provide heat for the farmhouse and are fed exclusively from his own wood, mostly wind-blown trees and material produced in laying hedges. This alone saves hundreds of pounds a year. Matthew also produces his own heatherings, the hooks of hazel used in hedge-laying.
“I reckon the carbon footprint is going to become increasingly important in the future”, he says. “I’d love to be able to say exactly how much carbon has been emitted in producing each kilo of meat I produce.
“By planting trees I can create a more diverse habitat, reduce the carbon footprint and in the long term, reduce the farm’s dependence on materials that need to be bought in. It takes time for trees to establish themselves, and that’s all the more reason to start now.
“The new Glastir Woodland Creation Grants, of up to £9,000 her acre plus £3.15 per metre of new fencing, look like a great opportunity for farmers. I’m certainly keen to plant up some of the very steep, bracken-covered slopes at Upper Nant-y-Felin, to make the best possible of use of land which has a limited use for agriculture.”
Trees for farms in Wales has been produced by Coed Cadw (the Woodland Trust) with support from the Countryside Council for Wales. Coed Cadw intends to distribute it free to all members of the NFU, FUW and CLA in Wales. It can also be downloaded free here
English
Grantiau Creu Coetir Glastir gwerth £9,000 yr hectar yn gyfle gwych ar gyfer y dyfodol, medd ffermwr ifanc o Frycheiniog
‘Fydd yr ôl traed carbon yn dod yn fwyfwy pwysig”, medd Matthew Vaughan, ‘a dwi’n awyddus i wneud y defnydd gorau o adnoddau’r fferm.’
Fe fydd dros dair mil o ffermwyr o Gymru sy’n aelodau o’r NFU yn derbyn llyfryn llawn lliw dros y dyddiau nesaf, sy’n amlinelli’r manteision mawr sy’n dod yn sgîl plannu darnau bychain o goetir brodorol ar ffermydd. Ac mae Coed Cadw (the Woodland Trust), sydd wedi cynhyrchu’r llyfryn, yn bwriadu ei ddosbarthu i aelodau’r Undeb Amaethwyr Cymru a’r CLA dros yr wythnosau nesaf.
Mae’r llyfryn yn cynnwys gwybodaeth hefyd am y grantiau deniadol sydd ar gael bellach i blannu coed yng Nghymru, sef hyd at £9,000 yr hectar i ffermwyr, a hynny heb golli’r taliad fferm sengl. Mae’r grantiau hyn ar gael yn awr a does dim angen bod yng nghynllun Cymru Gyfan Glastir, neu’r elfen o Glastir wedi’i dargedu.
Mae’r llyfryn yn cynnwys pedair astudiaeth achos o ffermwyr sydd wedi mynd ati i blannu coed er mwyn rheoli eu ffermydd yn fwy effeithiol, yng ngogledd, de, gorllewin a dwyrain Cymru, ynghyd â rhagair gan y ffermwr adnabyddus John Lloyd Jones o Dywyn, oedd gynt yn Gadeirydd Cyngor Cefn Gwlad Cymru.
Yn y rhagair dywed Mr Lloyd Jones: “O fewn ysbaid o ryw bum mlynedd ar hugain rydym wedi mynd o’r cysyniad o ormodedd tir i’r sylweddoliad ein bod ag angen i’n tir a’n hadnoddau naturiol weithio’n llawer caletach er mwyn cwrdd â’r galw cynyddol oherwydd twf poblogaeth a her y newid yn yr hinsawdd. Bydd gwneud i dir weithio’n llawer caletach nid yn unig yn golygu cynnydd mewn cynhyrchu amaethyddol, mae’n golygu cynnal ecosystemau hefyd:- aer glân, dŵr, ffrwythlondeb a sefydlogrwydd pridd, ar ba rai y mae cynhyrchu’n dibynnu. Mae gan goed rôl ganolog i’w chwarae yn y broses honno.”
Un o’r astudiaethau achos yw Matthew Vaughan, 27 mlwydd oed o Upper Nant-y-Felin, Bwlch ger Aberhonddu. Yn awyddus i wneud y defnydd llawnaf o lechweddau serth, rhedynog y fferm mae Matthew wedi plannu tua 3,000 o goed pren caled a phren meddal cymysg, wedi adfer 6,000m o berthi ac wedi creu dwy berllan newydd, trwy Tir Gofal. Mae o wedi cael ei wobrwyo am y gwaith hwn i gyd gydag ymweliad gan y Gweinidog dros Faterion Gwledig fis Tachwedd diwethaf.
Fferm defaid a chig eidion o 80 hectar (200 erw) yw Upper Nant-y-Felin, ei fferm o. Bu’n gyfan gwbl organig am dair blynedd ac mae yno 500 o famogiaid ac 20 o fuchod sugno. Mae coed y fferm yn darparu manteision ariannol sylweddol yn barod: mae tair stôf llosgi coed Matthew sy’n cael eu bwydo o’i goed ei hun a dim arall yn darparu gwres ar gyfer y ffermdy. Mae hyn yn arbed cannoedd o bunnoedd y flwyddyn. Mae Matthew hefyd yn cynhyrchu ei fachau cyll ei hun, sy’n cael eu defnyddio wrth blygu perthi.
“Mi dybiaf fod yr ôl troed carbon yn mynd i ddod yn fwyfwy pwysig yn y dyfodol”, meddai. “Fe hoffwn ni allu dweud yn union beth yw ôl troed carbon pob kilo o gig rwy’n gynhyrchu.
“Trwy blannu coed gallaf greu cynefin mwy amrywiol, lleihau’r ôl troed carbon ac yn y tymor hir, leihau dibyniaeth y fferm ar ddefnyddiau y mae angen eu prynu i mewn. Mae’n cymryd amser i goed sefydlu eu hunain, ac mae hynny’n fwy fyth o reswm dros ddechrau’n awr.
“Mae Grantiau Creu Coetir Glastir, o hyd at £9,000 yr hectar dros 15 mlynedd, gyda £3.15 y metr o ffensys newydd, yn edrych yn gyfle gwych i ffermwyr. Rwyf i’n sicr yn
awyddus i blannu rhai o’r llethrau rhedynog, serth iawn yn Upper Nant-y-Felin, i wneud y defnydd gorau posib o dir sy’n gyfyng ei ddefnydd ar gyfer amaethyddiaeth”.
Cynhyrchwyd Coed ar gyfer ffermydd yng Nghymru gan Goed Cadw gyda chefnogaeth Cyngor Cefn Gwlad Cymru. Mae Coed cadw’n bwriadu ei ddosbarthu am ddim at aelodau NFU, FUW a CLA yng Nghymru. Gellir ei islwytho am ddim yma