Welsh farming unions have welcomed the announcement that the management of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) will be included in the Universal Baseline Payment for the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS).
The National Farmers’ Union of Wales (NFU Cymru) and the Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) welcomed the announcement from Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, at the Royal Welsh Show.
NFU Cymru president Aled Jones said: “SSSIs are the best examples of our natural environment and a significant number of these sites are located on our farmland, reflecting the positive agricultural practices carried out by farmers over generations.
“We are pleased that Welsh government has listened to our concerns and these areas are now to be included within the universal baseline payment of the SFS.
“Welsh government’s revised position will bring significant benefit to those farmers with SSSI on their farms.”
Jones said the move demonstrates that the Cabinet Secretary is listening to the ministerial roundtable and is prepared to adopt a “sensible and pragmatic” approach to the final scheme design.
“Whilst this is progress, we are clear that there remains a lot of work to do on many other aspects of the scheme – as set out in NFU Cymru’s response to Welsh government’s consultation – to ensure that the SFS delivers on our shared ambitions for food, nature and climate.
“NFU Cymru is clear that we need a scheme that underpins food production, our farmed environment, our communities, our language and culture, not just for our generation, but also those that follow in our footsteps.”
FUW
FUW president Ian Rickman said: “We highlighted in our comprehensive consultation response earlier this year that some farms are almost entirely categorised as SSSI and would therefore be placed at a severe disadvantage compared to other producers across Wales if they were unable to access maintenance payments.
“The initial proposals would have resulted in the perverse effect of penalising those farming what have been categorised as Wales’ most precious land.
“While some fundamental questions remain around the payment methodology and capacity within Natural Resources Wales to issue management agreements for SSSI sites, we welcome the efforts made by the Welsh government to address how the SFS can work alongside the regulatory requirements of the Wildlife and Countryside Act.”
Rickman said the FUW is committed to the work of the three Welsh government groups in working through elements of the scheme in turn, and it sees this announcement as an important step forward.”
