The Welsh Government’s Farming Connect service is urging farmers to look into information on innovation and technology with a visit to the Farming Connect stand at the Royal Welsh Show later this month.

Farming Connect will be using this year’s Royal Welsh Show at Llanelwedd (July 24 – 27) to showcase some of the industry’s newest and most successful technologies to help farmers prepare to compete in the new global marketplace.
 
Innovation and technology will be a key theme at Farming Connect’s usual base in the Lantra Building (Avenue K), and on the first floor balcony of the sheep pens (Stand No. M652) where this year’s Agri Lab exhibition, a joint collaboration between Farming Connect and the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society, will also be situated.
  
“The Show provides a great opportunity for Welsh farmers to see for themselves the results and outcomes of the numerous projects [being] trialled on the Farming Connect demonstration network sites,” said Eirwen Williams, director of rural programmes with Menter a Busnes, which delivers Farming Connect on behalf of the Welsh Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.
 
The Agri Lab exhibition will bring together a range of companies and individuals who are at the cutting edge of innovation and technology within the industry. The lab will also feature one-to-one business support surgeries on 24 July(which require booking), and a Precision Farming clinic on 25 and 26 July. There will also be an opportunity to meet qualified robotic engineer Jonathan Gill to find out how aerial drones and agronomy, currently part of a major research project at Harper Adams University’s National Centre for Precision Farming, could benefit your business.
 
Other items on display in the technology section will include heat sensors for poultry housing; hand held NIRS (Near Infra-red Spectroscopy) grass sampling equipment; genomic testing equipment of female dairy cows and heat detection collars for suckler cows.
 
 “We hope we have something to appeal to all our visitors, including younger members of the family who will be able to take part in a prize-winning farm Health & Safety competition and climb aboard their own mini-tractor,” Eirwen Williams said.    
 
There will also be support for woodland owners. Farming Connect will promote its services to forestry businesses, including the business and technical advice that is available through the Advisory Service. They will be sharing a stand with Coed Cymru, Welsh Woodland Training and assessment specialist MWMAC (Stand No. FOR755). Farming Connect’s technical woodland officer, Geraint Jones, will be available throughout the show, and will also attend the landowner day on the Confor stand (Stand No. FOR 763) from 11am on Wednesday, 26 July, where he will be taking part in a presentation on improving farm income streams through new planting and the woodland carbon code.
 
Mrs. Williams added, “Farming Connect provides guidance, training and advice – a range of services and events all geared towards supporting sustainable business development and improving economic and environmental performance. Many services are fully funded, while others, including the Advisory Service, are subsidised by up to 80% for eligible businesses or fully funded for group applications.
 
 “The Royal Welsh Show gives us the opportunity to speak directly to farmers and foresters. No eligible businesses in Wales should miss out on the wide-ranging support services which could really make a difference to both their personal and business development, in what remains for many a very challenging economic period.” 
 
Booking in advance is essential for any of the one-to-one clinics provided by Farming Connect at the Royal Welsh Show. Visit www.gov.wales/farmingconnect for booking and further information.