Malcolm Thomas, John Mercer and Sian Davies from Carmarthenshire will join one of two NFU staff teams who are hiking 52 miles along Ridge Way and climbing a total of 3,800ft, all in aid of deafblind charity Sense.

The teams will set off from Oxfordshire to follow the oldest road in the UK to Wiltshire, and with only 24 hours to tackle this walk it is not for the faint hearted.

Former NFU Cymru Director, Malcolm Thomas said, "It will be a real challenge to complete the walk in 24 hours but we have been training hard and I am looking forward to the challenge.

The Countryside Educational Visits Accreditation Scheme, or CEVAS, is taught over two days and allows learners to think through all the aspects of having a school visit, including health and safety, the learning opportunities a farm or countryside site can offer, and talking to young people and teachers.

In a debate in the National Assembly later today, the Minister will announce a new, ambitions tree planting programme as part of the targeted element of Glastir. Aimed at expanding the area of woodland in Wales by 100, 000 hectares over the next 20 years, farmers would receive a capital grant to establish permanent woodland on lower grade agricultural land, together with annual maintenance and income foregone payments for up to 15 years after planting.

Landowners are allowed to use controlled burning of Heather and Grassland as a land management tool during the proscribed burning season. The burning season for 2010 ended in lowland areas on March 15 and ends in upland areas on March 31 2010. Farmers wishing to carry out controlled burning must adhere to the Heather and Grass Burning Code for Wales 2008 which stipulates that advance notice of an intended burn must be given to neighbours and that a burning management plan must be prepared and adhered to. It is illegal to leave a fire unattended or to have too few people to control it. No burning is allowed between sunset and sunrise.

Trefor Jones, of Lanuwchllyn, near Bala, sells the kits for agricultural and industrial use at auction and through the internet and expects to turn over up to £200,000 in his first year.

The fabrication of the steel buildings is now a family business, trading as GTT Fabrications Ltd. Forty eight year old Mr Jones handles sales and marketing, his seventeen year old son Tomos carries out the welding and fabrication and his wife Rose undertakes the administration work.

Mr Jones said, "The economic downturn and credit crunch did have an impact on wool price and demand - with a 30 per cent decline in the carpet industry alone. The environmental benefits of wool, are however being promoted heavily by the Board throughout the World. There is a huge potential for wool, with the American market showing increased interest.

Richard Isaac, NFU Cymru County Chairman said, "Whilst we all dreaded this regulation, there are flexibilities within it which have made things for most farmers far easier. As a result of successful NFU Cymru lobbying there is a choice of tagging options for lambs born after 31 December 2009 and the approval of central point recording will mean that reading equipment may not have to be purchased by all farmers."

NFU Cymru believes that there will be a significant number of producers who will wish to take advantage of the slaughter derogation, i.e. producers who move lambs, under 12 months of age, either direct from the farm to slaughter or via livestock market direct to slaughter. The slaughter derogation has allowed these producers to move their slaughter lambs under the least cost and least regulatory option.

Work to successfully facilitate the access of common land into the Welsh Assembly Government's new agri-environment scheme, Glastir is gathering apace, Rural Affairs Minister, Elin Jones, has said.

The Glastir Commons Working Group, which was established by the Rural Affairs Minister, met for the first time in February. The last of the four scheduled meetings will take place in June 2010.

The Minister established the Land Use Climate Change Group, chaired by Professor Gareth Wyn Jones, last year to consider how agriculture and land use can reduce climate change and adapt to it. The group was asked to look at the opportunities for farming and forestry businesses. The Group has now presented its findings to the Minister.

The report recommends a set of initiatives by which Wales can maintain its food production potential while, at the same time, cutting emissions.

Key elements suggested by the report for reducing emissions are:

the introduction of anaerobic digestion to reduce methane emissions
improving farm productivity, including more efficient use of manure, fertilisers and energy
expansion of woodlands
the development of renewable energy sources.

The report's emphasis is on maintaining intensive dairy, sheep and beef sectors while diversifying and increasing vegetable crops. In the longer term, the report recommends development of a more radical approach where much of the cattle herd is housed and methane emissions are captured. By 2040, agriculture and land use sectors could make substantial progress to carbon neutrality.

Rural Affairs Minister, Elin Jones said:

"Climate change remains one of the biggest challenges facing our generation. How we manage our land will play a crucial role in cutting greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change.

"Farming accounts for approx 10 per cent of Wales's greenhouse gas emissions. If we also consider food processing, retail and waste, this figure increases considerably.

"I thank the Group for undertaking this valuable work. I will now consider in detail the report's recommendations."

Professor Gareth Wyn Jones, Chair of the Land Use Climate Change Group, said:

"Given the complexity of the issues, involving not only the emission of carbon dioxide but also two other important greenhouse gases, methane and nitrous oxide, my group has been faced with a major challenge.

"It is our judgement as a group that the components of the recommended scenario offer a positive way forward which will not only achieve a major cut in net emissions by about 2040 but also will contribute to the sustainability of rural Wales by generating additional income streams including from micro renewable energy generation."