Today’s statement by Welsh Government is in response to the second phase of co-design, which took place last year and focussed on the outline proposals for the proposed Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS). The Minister has today confirmed that the outputs from this work will help to shape the next iteration of SFS proposals to be included in the public consultation towards the end of this year.
Vital role of resilient agricultural businesses
Commenting on today’s development, NFU Cymru President Aled Jones, who was at the Senedd to hear the statement, said: “Today’s statement comes hot on the heels of the completion of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill’s passage through the Senedd, where a number of important and positive amendments were secured. This included recognition of the vital role of resilient agricultural businesses in contributing to thriving rural communities. NFU Cymru expects the revised SFS proposals later this year to reflect the important amendments made to the bill.
“NFU Cymru remains supportive of Welsh Government’s overarching framework for the SFS arranged around universal, optional and collaborative tiers. Farmers will receive a baseline payment for carrying out a set of universal actions and we are clear that more work is needed on the universal actions to ensure that they work for all active farmers in Wales irrespective of location, sector and land tenure.
Extreme concern and disappointment
“NFU Cymru is extremely concerned and disappointed that Welsh Government appears to have doubled down on its 10% tree cover target (on areas Welsh Government considers suitable for tree planting) within the universal tier of the proposed scheme.
“In our response to the SFS outline proposals, NFU Cymru highlighted the broad range of issues associated with the 10% tree cover and 10% habitat targets. We remain clear the challenges around these targets present a very real barrier to scheme participation.
“Farmers will be prepared to plant hedges, shelterbelts, streamside corridors and field corners on appropriate areas of their farm but will not plant trees on their productive land.
More detail needed
“It will also be vital that the final consultation provides more detail on what exactly farmers will need to do and crucially what they can expect to be paid.
“The scale of change faced by farming businesses in Wales is unprecedented. NFU Cymru is committed to working with Welsh Government to make sure that the new system works and is fit for purpose. Furthermore, as we transition away from the current system, there must be sufficient time to allow farmers to adapt their businesses to what is expected of them.
“We remain clear, that future support schemes have to deliver against the multiple challenges that we will face in the future. These challenges include meeting our environmental and climate change obligations, as well as driving productivity and efficiency in order to meet our responsibilities in relation to food production – both domestically and globally.
Stability element for the future scheme
“In a world of uncertainty, as we adapt to new trading arrangements and the economic impacts of new policies, it is of utmost importance that the Sustainable Farming Scheme includes an adequate stability element. Complementing this stability element must be a fair reward for environmental outcomes both in terms of what farmers have already delivered and what they will deliver into the future.
“With family farms forming the backbone of our rural and wider communities, we must have a scheme which delivers for our economy, landscape, language and culture, whilst also underpinning the top-quality food production, which makes our farmers the cornerstone of a food supply chain which sustains a multi-billion-pound food and drink industry and hundreds of thousands of jobs.”