Country Land and Business Association (CLA) Cymru is holding a workshop to support farmers to complete some of the most challenging elements of the new Welsh Government grant for farmers, the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS), as the scheme's end-of-year deadlines approach.
The event is taking place Friday 6 November 2026, 10:00am – 3:00pm at Llanover Village Hall, near Abergavenny. While this is a free event for CLA Cymru members and non-members, prior booking is strongly advised to avoid missing out.
CLA Cymru represents over 3,000 members across Wales, covering 11 million acres, and works tirelessly to protect and shape the future of Wales' rural landscape. From Welsh agriculture and the regeneration of the rural economy to improving the Welsh planning system, CLA Cymru engages with members at the Senedd and at Westminster to help shape policy.
The SFS was launched earlier this year as a new approach by Welsh Government to support farming. It replaces the Basic Payment Scheme and farmers must complete 12 universal actions to receive the grant. These actions cover measures relating to soil, animal welfare and the planting of trees or hedgerows.
Initial Welsh Government proposals around trees and hedgerows provoked strong responses from farmers. Following protests that drew around 3,000 farmers to the Senedd, Welsh Government dropped the requirement for trees to cover 10% of farmers' land. Instead, farmers must create an online map by 31 December identifying areas that could benefit from tree and hedgerow planting.
This event will provide advice to farmers on meeting this requirement. The workshop will include sessions explaining the benefits of different types of tree planting, together with a farm tour to identify which plants will work best in different locations on farms. It will also cover the practical steps involved in turning these ideas into an online map and guide attendees through each stage of uploading the plan via the Welsh Government's online portal.
This session will also help farmers complete another universal action, continuous professional development (CPD). This action requires farmers to undertake six hours of learning in sustainable land management throughout the year. The CLA Cymru event will contribute one hour towards this requirement a few weeks before the 31 December deadline.
All farmers are invited to attend the event free of charge, with lunch included. Places can be reserved online at www.cla.org.uk/events or by phoning 07817 128277.
