Radical announcement requires full and active engagement with farming industry

’Radical’ is how NFU Cymru has described the announcement by the Rural Affairs Minister on the principles of a successor scheme, Glastir, to replace current land management arrangements under Axis 2 of the Rural Development Plan for Wales.

In response to the announcement, NFU Cymru acknowledges that the Assembly has to respond to the European Commission’s changed priorities and the Union believes the farming industry in Wales has the potential to contribute positively and significantly to this new agenda.

During the consultation exercise NFU Cymru identified 10 criteria* that it would be necessary for any successor scheme to meet. The Union believes that how the new scheme measures up to these criteria will be critical to determining the success, or otherwise of the new arrangements. It is essential that there is full and active engagement with the farming industry to work up the details of the successor scheme following today’s announcement.

Dai Davies, NFU Cymru President, said, "There are always challenges with change but what we have to ensure is that these are manageable, practical and deliverable at farm level. Government has acknowledged that farming involves long-term management decisions that take time to come to fruition and the financial consequences that change can have for a business."

NFU Cymru has from the outset had concerns about the targeting of support under the Higher Level element to produce environmental outcomes. Modulated funds taken from all farmers will be used to fund the new scheme and all farmers should have the opportunity to recover this support to enable them to farm in a way that contributes positively to the environment of Wales whilst meeting the ever growing demand for food.

Dai Davies said, "Getting the detail of the scheme right is of paramount importance and a firm foundation is needed. The signals at a European level are that post 2013 the European Union will try to shift the emphasis away from Pillar 1 measures (the Single Farm Payment) in favour of Pillar 2 (agri-environment schemes) and unless the basis of the new scheme is sound and fair it will be neither fit for purpose now nor the future.

"Change invariably involves winners and losers and this could be critical to the viability of the survival of some farm businesses so it is crucial that there is a managed transition that allows farmers time to adjust to the new and different demands now being made upon the industry."