The Welsh Government’s Rural Affairs Minister, Lesley Griffiths, has invited the two main farming unions in Wales for an urgent meeting following the opposition by many in the agricultural sector to the proposed changes in the agricultural payment scheme in Wales via the implementation of the Sustainable Farming Scheme.
The past few weeks have seen tensions increase as more farmers have expressed their opposition to the changes in criteria for receiving payments by the Welsh Government. The aim of the Government is to ensure environmental benefits through the new scheme, including the controversial requirement to plant trees on up to 10% of all agricultural land on each farm.
In a statement NFU Cymru President Aled Jones said:
‘We met with the Rural Affairs Minister Lesley Griffiths on Tuesday this week to express the deep concerns of the industry and we left her in no doubt over the strength of feeling and seriousness of the situation following the robust feedback we have received from our series of roadshows. I welcome the fact that the Minister recognises the serious concerns of farmers and as such has agreed to meet and look at ways to address these issues.’
To learn more about NFU Cymru’s response to the Sustainable Farming Scheme, follow this link to their website.
