Welsh farm payments surge ahead as 90% of SFS claimants receive cash

Nine in ten farms claiming under Wales's new Sustainable Farming Scheme have received advance payments, after the Welsh Government increased funding rates to help ease financial pressures following a dry summer.

Latest figures show 90% of farms claiming under the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) Universal Layer and 94% of those claiming under the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) have now received their advance payments.

The Welsh Government increased the advance payment rate for both schemes from 70% to 80% this year, allowing farmers to access more of their expected funding sooner.

The move is intended to help ease cash-flow pressures following challenging weather conditions and wider financial difficulties facing agricultural businesses.

Remaining advance payments will continue to be issued as claims are checked and confirmed, with balance payments scheduled to begin from mid-December.

The government expects all but the most complex claims to be paid before the end of March 2027.

However, farmers claiming under the SFS Universal Layer must update their SFS Universal Dashboard through RPW Online to receive their outstanding balance.

Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability Llyr Gruffydd welcomed the progress, particularly as the new scheme enters its first year.

He said: “Payments have already reached the vast majority - ninety per cent of farmers claiming SFS - and considering that this is the very first year of a brand-new scheme I see that as a big win.”

Mr Gruffydd confirmed that further advance payments would continue over the coming weeks as outstanding claims are processed.

He also urged farmers to check their RPW Online accounts regularly and respond promptly to any outstanding queries.

He said: “I urge farmers to check their RPW Online accounts in case there are outstanding queries to respond to which might hold up their advance payment.”

The increased payments form part of a wider package of support introduced by the Welsh Government following an exceptionally challenging summer for the agricultural sector.

Additional measures include extending the permitted period for slurry spreading and allowing derogations from certain scheme requirements relating to crop and habitat management.

Grants have also been introduced to support climate adaptation measures, including boreholes and water harvesting equipment.

These measures are intended to help farm businesses manage the impact of dry conditions while improving their resilience to future weather extremes.

The government said increasing advance payment rates would provide farmers with greater financial flexibility at a time when many businesses are managing ongoing costs.

Mr Gruffydd said: “We’ve increased advance payments from 70% to 80% for this year, so farms can get more of what is expected, sooner and when they need it most.”

The payments represent an important stage in the first year of the SFS, which is being introduced alongside continuing BPS support.

Farmers awaiting payments are being encouraged to monitor their RPW Online accounts and ensure any requests for further information are addressed to avoid delays.