Welsh Government SFS tree coverage policy U-turn welcomed by AIC Cymru
Plans requiring Welsh farmers to have trees on 10% of their land to qualify for payments under the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) have been dropped - a move welcomed by AIC Cymru.
On Monday (25 November) the Welsh Government announced a U-turn on the controversial policy following widespread opposition, with AIC Cymru and farming unions calling for a major rethink of proposals earlier this year.
In March, AIC Cymru and other representative bodies including NFU Cymru and the Farmers' Union of Wales urged policymakers to engage constructively with the industry and listen to overwhelming feedback.
Announcing the rethink at the Royal Welsh Winter Fair this week, Deputy First Minister for Wales Huw Irranca-Davies MS acknowledged that changes were needed and said the Government was listening.
Under the new proposals for the SFS, which is due to be introduced in 2026, having 10% tree coverage on farmland will be optional and farmers will still be able to access support payments if they do not meet this requirement.
Visit the Welsh Government website for full details on the scheme.
Michael Muncey, AIC Cymru Policy Manager, said: "We welcome this announcement as it shows the Welsh Government is listening and has taken a step in the right direction on the development of the SFS.
"AIC Cymru is pleased to have had constructive engagement with Huw Irranca-Davies MS since he was appointed Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs in March, including at an industry roundtable.
"However, we still need greater clarity from the Welsh Government on the scheme’s funding, with financials yet to be disclosed. The SFS must offer a positive financial step up from the existing Basic Payment Scheme if farms are to be persuaded to join.
"AIC Cymru will continue working with Welsh farming unions to make the case for a more workable SFS ahead of its planned introduction in 2026."
Authors
Oli Hill
As Head of Communications, Oli creates and oversees the content published on AIC's website, emails, Member briefings, print publications, and social media. A qualified multimedia journalist, he previously spent six years working at Farmers Weekly magazine as a Senior Reporter on the arable team, and latterly as Community Editor. More recently he was Communications Manager at Red Tractor.
