Cymraeg isod....

Farmers interested in the opportunity of making more of their land by planting small areas of woodland and trees are invited to a free farm open day at St Harmon, near Rhayader on 11 October. Generous grants are now available under the new Glastir Woodlands scheme and these will be explained on the day. The event is being organised jointly by FWAG Cymru and the Woodland Trust (Coed Cadw).

The area of new woodland created in Wales increased by 50% this year, from 200 ha in 2009-10 to 300 ha in 2010-11, as farmers started to make use of the new Glastir Woodland Creation Grants, which offer up to £9,000 per hectare without loss of single farm payment.

One farmer who has already started planting trees on the farm is Marc Jones of Mathrafal Farm at Meifod near Welshpool. His farm is 260 acres, and is all arable, growing wheat, barley, maize and silage. He has recently planted 500 trees, mainly oak and sycamore but also some sweet chestnut, horse chestnut, cherry and lime.

He says: “We see the planting programme as an investment for the future as we believe timber will become an increasingly valuable commodity. We are already seeing the benefits of improved habitat for wildlife with an increase in the number of birds. The Glastir Woodland Creation Grant is key. Tree planting improves the whole environment. Water management is really important as well; a lot of the trees we’ve planted will be by the river bank.”

Marc has a particular interest in wood fuel as he has recently established a biomass energy business based at Mathrafal Farm. Egnisco provides both biomass boilers and wood fuel for commercial, industrial, local authority and residential uses throughout Wales and The Marches, thus helping customers to reduce carbon emissions and to benefit from green renewable energy at a competitive cost.

The open day at Allt Goch Farm is being held by kind permission of Mr Evan Price. Also present will be a Forestry Commission approved independent agent who is available to prepare Glastir woodlands grant applications on behalf of farmers and other landowners, representatives of FWAG Cymru and the Woodland Trust (Coed Cadw) team.

Those landowners who are keen to plant trees, but who do not wish to make use of Glastir Woodland Creation grants can apply for farm tree packs from the Woodland Trust. This may be of particular interest to farmers wishing to plant very small areas of woodland or wood pasture. Details will be available at the farm open day.

The day is free and places can be booked by ringing FWAG Cymru on 01341 421456. More details are available online at www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/wales

Diwrnod agored i helpu ffermwyr i fanteisio ar goed i wneud eu ffermydd yn fwy proffidiol
Fferm Allt Goch, St Harmon ger Rhaeadr Gwy, 11 Hydref

Estynnir croeso i ffermwyr fyddai’n hoffi gwneud mwy o ddefnydd o’u tir trwy blannu darnau bach o goetir a choed i ddiwrnod agored am ddim ar fferm yn St Harmon, ger Rhaeadr Gwy ar 11 Hydref. Mae grantiau hael ar gael bellach o dan y cynllun newydd Creu Coetir Glastir, ac fe gaiff y rhain eu hesbonio ar y diwrnod. Trefnir y digwyddiad ar y cyd gan FWAG Cymru a Choed Cadw (the Woodland Trust).

Mae maint y coetir newydd a grëwyd yng Nghymru wedi codi 50% eleni, o 200 ha yn 2009-10 i 300 ha yn 2010-11, wrth i ffermwyr ddechrau gwneud defnydd o grantiau newydd Cynllun Creu Coetir Glastir, sy'n cynnig hyd at £ 9,000 yr hectar heb golli’r taliad fferm sengl.

Un ffermwr sydd eisoes wedi dechrau plannu coed ar ei fferm yw Marc Jones o Fferm Mathrafal ym Meifod ger y Trallwng. Mae ei fferm yn 260 erw, tir âr yn tyfu gwenith, haidd, indrawn a silwair. Mae o newydd blannu 500 o goed, coed derw yn bennaf gyda sycamorwydd ond hefyd castanwydd pêr, castanwydd y meirch, ceirios a phalalwyf.

Mae’n dweud: "Rydym yn gweld y rhaglen plannu fel buddsoddiad at y dyfodol gan ein bod ni’n credu y bydd coed yn dod yn fwyfwy gwerthfawr a drud fel defnydd. Rydym eisoes wedi gweld manteision creu cynefin gwell ar gyfer byd natur gyda chynnydd yn nifer yr adar. Mae Grantiau Creu Coetir Glastir yn allweddol. Mae plannu coed yn gwella'r amgylchedd yn ei gyfanrwydd. Mae rheoli dŵr yn bwysig iawn yn ogystal; mae llawer o'r coed rydym wedi plannu ar lan yr afon ".

Mae gan Marc ddiddordeb arbennig mewn coed tân gan ei fod o newydd sefydlu busnes ynni biomas ar Fferm Mathrafal. Mae Egnisco yn darparu bwyleri biomas yn ogystal â choed tân ar gyfer diwydiant, awdurdodau lleol a phreswylwyr ledled Cymru a'r Gororau, gan helpu cwsmeriaid i leihau allyriannau carbon ac i elwa o ynni gwyrdd adnewyddol am gost gystadleuol.

Cynhelir y diwrnod agored yn Fferm Allt Goch drwy ganiatâd caredig Mr Evan Price. Fe fydd asiant annibynnol yn bresennol hefyd, a gymeradwywyd gan y Comisiwn Coedwigaeth, sy’n gallu paratoi ceisiadau Grant Creu Coetir Glastir ar ran ffermwyr a thirfeddianwyr eraill ynghyd â chynrychiolwyr o FWAG Cymru a Choed Cadw (the Woodland Trust).

Gall tirfeddianwyr sy'n awyddus i blannu coed, ond sy ddim yn dymuno defnyddio grantiau Coetiroedd Glastir Creu ymgeisio am becynnau coed fferm oddi wrth y Coed Cadw. Gall hyn fod o ddiddordeb arbennig i ffermwyr sy'n dymuno plannu ardaloedd bach iawn o goetir neu borfa goediog. Fe fydd manylion am hyn ar gael yn y diwrnod.

Mae'r diwrnod yn rhad ac am ddim a gellir neilltuo lle drwy ffonio FWAG Cymru ar 01341 421456. Ceir mwy o fanylion ar-lein ar gael yn www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/cymru