As the consultation on the Sustainable Farming Scheme enters its final two weeks the Minister for Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths is urging people to take part in the consultation and make sure their views are heard.
The consultation, Keeping Farmers Farming, was launched in December and outlines proposals which aim to secure food production systems, keep farmers farming the land, safeguard the environment, and address the urgent call of the climate and nature emergency.
Every individual response to the consultation will be considered. No final decision on the scheme will be taken until the consultation is completed and responses considered.
The proposals have been shaped by feedback received from farmers and the wider industry over three consultations and two phases of co-design.
Changes in the Scheme in response to this feedback include making the scheme accessible to all farmers in Wales from 2025, phasing the introduction of the Collaborative and Optional actions and ensuring actions are proportionate and appropriate to farming in Wales.
Changes also include adjustments to the proposal for a requirement for minimum 10 per cent tree cover, which includes existing trees and newly planted areas. Changes have been made to meet the needs of tenant farmers and the requirement would not be introduced until 2030, giving farmers time to adjust with support from the Welsh Government. There would be no retrospective penalty if farmers had not reached the 10 per cent target.
10 Roadshows (30 presentation sessions) have been held across Wales since January, speaking to over 3,200 farmers about the consultation.
The consultation is open until 7 March 2024 and is available here: Sustainable Farming Scheme - Keeping farmers farming