Llyr Gruffydd MS, Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability, announced on Wednesday 23 September that Welsh Government would legislate to extend the period for slurry spreading until Sunday 15 November.
Call for action
In a further positive move, Welsh Government also announced that it is increasing the advance payment rate available under the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) Universal Layer and Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) from 70% to 80% of each farm's estimated eligible claim value.
NFU Cymru had called for action to support farmers in the wake of one of the hottest and driest summers on record.
Those conditions had severely stunted grass growth, leading to many farmers having to resort to feeding forage conserved earlier this year intended for the winter months.
Many farmers are now looking to take silage cuts late into the autumn to try and build their fodder stocks for winter, however the rules attached to the original closed period beginning on October 15 would have meant they could not then apply slurry after taking those cuts. This would have meant farms entering the winter period with slurry stores, in many cases, near capacity.
Welcome relief
Welcoming the Cabinet Minister’s announcement, NFU Cymru President Abi Reader said: “NFU Cymru is pleased that the Cabinet Minister has listened to the challenges faced by farmers this summer and taken positive, proactive action to address the industry’s heightened concerns headed into what is likely to be a difficult winter.
“Throughout our meetings with the Cabinet Minister over the summer - and even as recently as our meeting with him yesterday - we have stressed the need for a sensible and pragmatic approach that acknowledges the unprecedented challenges the summer has thrown at our farmers.
The announcement of an extension to the closed periods, therefore, will come as a welcome relief to the nation’s farmers, many of whom have a shortage of winter feed and had concerns over entering the winter with slurry storage near capacity.
Recognised the seriousness of the situation
The decision to increase advance support payments, to be made from Wednesday 14 October, is also welcome recognition of the financial toll that the prolonged drought and extreme heat has taken on family farms, with arable yields significantly down and livestock farmers having to source additional feed after a year of severely limited grass growth.
This proactive action will help to underpin food production in Wales after one of the most challenging years in living memory. It also serves as another timely reminder as to why the stability payment within the universal element of the SFS and BPS plays such an important role in the nation’s food security.
Optimistic for the future
Taking all of this into account, the Cabinet Minister deserves credit for recognising the seriousness of the situation and taking measured, responsible action that will ease the pressure on farming businesses.
“As a union we welcome the Cabinet Minister’s short-term intervention. We remain optimistic that the Welsh Government will take forward the learnings from this period in the development of longer-term practical and proportionate solutions to the problems caused by the ‘farming-by-calendar’ approach.”
