The National Farmers’ Union of Wales (NFU Cymru) has said the announcement of interim schemes for 2025, ahead of the introduction of the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) in 2026, is a “logical step forward”.
The union said the schemes, which form the ‘preparatory phase‘ of the SFS, will ensure support for the farming industry and environmental delivery continues until new replacement schemes are operational.
Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies MS, announced that the Habitat Wales Scheme will be one of the interim schemes offered in 2025, with all eligible individual farmers able to apply.
The schemes include:
- Habitat Wales Scheme in 2025 with all eligible individual farmers able to apply;
- Existing Habitat Wales Scheme Commons agreements can be extended for 2025;
- The Organic Support Payment will be maintained for 2025;
- An extension to Farming Connect to 2026, continuing the knowledge transfer and innovation support on farms;
- A new Integrated Natural Resources Scheme will support farmer-focussed partnerships delivering nature-based solutions across a landscape, catchment or on a pan Wales scale. It will continue the transition to a new way of supporting farmers and the vital work they do ahead of the introduction of SFS collaborative actions;
In addition to these five schemes, a data confirmation exercise will be launched.
NFU Cymru president Aled Jones said: “Following the Cabinet Secretary’s announcement in May, which confirmed the proposed SFS transition will start in 2026 and the BPS will be available in 2025, today’s announcement that interim schemes, including the Habitat Wales Scheme and Organic Support Payments, will continue for 2025 is a logical step forward.
“This will ensure support for the farming industry and environmental delivery continues until new replacement schemes are operational.”
‘More detail is needed’
However, Jones said that “more detail is needed”, including the budget allocations and payment rates affiliated to these interim schemes.
“NFU Cymru has long been clear that the provision of adequate funding for agri-environment schemes is going to be essential to secure the confidence of the farming industry in Welsh government’s policy approach of providing fair reward for the delivery of environmental outcomes in the future,” he said.
“Given the significant challenges posed by the Habitat Wales Scheme mapping exercise for 2024, NFU Cymru is concerned that Welsh government plans to run a data confirmation exercise via RPW online from July 22 to December 6.
“Whilst this aims to provide farmers with the opportunity to review the underlying maps and data held on their farms to inform both the Habitat Wales Scheme in 2025 and the Sustainable Farming Scheme in 2026, we have raised concerns over the timing of this exercise, given the pressures on the farming sector at this time and the current positive, ongoing work on SFS scheme design by the ministerial roundtable, carbon sequestration review group and SFS officials groups.”
Jones said NFU Cymru very much welcomes the commitment from Welsh government to continue to listen to the sector and work in partnership.
“NFU Cymru is clear we must use the time we have to redouble our efforts to get the Sustainable Farming Scheme right for all farm types, sectors and regions of Wales, including tenants and common land.
“This will ensure farmers can continue to carry out their vital role of producing high quality, sustainable Welsh food for all in society, underpinning the vitality of our rural communities and the Welsh language whilst delivering on ambitions for nature and climate.”
