SUMMER has arrived!

With plenty of sunshine and warm temperatures, I’m sure many of you will be busy out in the fields and getting livestock ready for the summer shows. Paperwork is probably not the first thing on your minds.

However, do keep an eye out for a ‘Preliminary Checks Letter’ from the start of June.

Rural Payments Wales will be undertaking initial checks on submitted Single Application Forms to identify any differences between what has been declared compared to their mapping database, and also to check if any of the land that has been declared has been declared by another claimant.

Should there be any discrepancies during these checks, RPW will issue a ‘Preliminary Checks Letter’, which will be sent in an amber coloured envelope and added to your RPW Online account.

If you receive such a letter, it is essential that you read it and advise RPW of any changes that you may wish to make by June 19.

Any replies received after this date cannot be accepted and penalties may be applied.

However, if you received any assistance during the completion of your SAF, it is important that you seek further advice and guidance from the same person before responding.

As always, if you require any assistance with checking and responding to a letter, please get in touch with your local FUW county office as soon as you receive it.

On another quick note, we are looking forward to welcome First Minister Carwyn Jones AM as the keynote speaker at our annual general meeting, which is taking place next Monday, June 18, at the William Davies Suite, IBERS in Aberystwyth.

The event is due to start at 1.30pm with a warm welcome from me, which will be followed by a question and answer session on Brexit and farming matters.

It promises to be a great afternoon of farming matters discussions, with a strong focus on agriculture in Wales post-Brexit, as well as fair farm funding and I hope to see many of you there.