FIVE west Wales farmers have been selected to take part in an exchange programme to enhance their knowledge.

The Farming Connect Management Exchange project will see 14 ambitious farmers swap roles with counterparts across Europe.

From carbon sequestration to growing heritage wheat varieties and from investigating the potential of a Welsh tea plantation to animal health – these are just a few of the diverse topics to be researched.

Llandysul farmer, Marc Harries will head to Scotland and Germany to learn more about future proofing the family farm without subsidies.

Ben James from Lampeter will head to England to improve his knowledge on self-sufficiency for first-generation farmers.

Jamie McCoy from Newcastle Emlyn is to head to The Netherlands and Austria to learn more about short supply chains.

Sophia Morgan-Swinhoe from Bow Street will head to Ireland to learn more about developing cheese that reflects the farm and area it is from.

And, John Savage-Onstwedder from Llandysul will head to Sweden to learn more about distilling birch tree sap to make alcohol.

In a rigorous online selection process, each applicant was asked to explain what they wanted to learn, how they would utilise their new knowledge and where they planned to visit, which this year includes exemplar businesses and universities in the UK, Germany, France, Austria, the Netherlands, Sweden, Poland, Hungary and Latvia.

The judging panel was chaired by Eirwen Williams, director of rural programmes with Menter a Busnes, which alongside Lantra Wales, delivers Farming Connect on behalf of the Welsh Government and European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, who congratulated this year’s successful candidates.

Mrs Williams said: “The Management Exchange programme encourages farmers and foresters to learn about new or improved ways of working, to access research and see at first hand some of the most successful systems in the farming, food and land-based industries.

“The learning and outcomes already being implemented by many previous Management Exchange candidates augur well for the long-term sustainability and viability of farming businesses in Wales.

“Importantly, the results also bode well for future generations, for the young farmers already working in the industry, whose long-term commitment and loyalty we must nurture, as well as those entering the industry for the first time.”.

The aims of the Management Exchange programme are to enable participants to investigate innovative or more efficient ways of working that will broaden their knowledge, technical ability and management expertise by visiting other successful farming or forestry businesses.

Those selected also have the opportunity to host a suitably trained and experienced farm or forestry manager at their home holding.

Successful participants will be expected to disseminate findings from their learning experience through Farming Connect’s usual communications channels and events programme to ensure their new knowledge is shared with the wider industry.