Farm lobby group calls for pause on SFS rollout

Farm lobby group Digon yw Digon has called for a pause in the rollout of the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) in Wales until a full impact assessment on food security and farm finances is completed.

The group, which translates to “Enough is Enough”, expressed concerns that the scheme’s focus on environmental outcomes could undermine domestic food production and food security.

Gwyn Edwards, co-founder of Digon yw Digon and a beef and sheep farmer from North Wales, said food security must be prioritised within the SFS.

See also: Welsh Sustainable Farming Scheme: All you need to know

He criticised the Welsh Labour administration’s lack of response regarding the impact of the SFS on food production, highlighting the absence of a proper assessment.

“Over 12 months ago, the Welsh government’s own figures on the SFS revealed that 5,500 farming jobs would be directly lost as a result of this scheme,” said Mr Edwards.

“But we still have no idea about the financial impact of the SFS on farming and the wider rural economy in Wales.”

Digon yw Digon is also questioning why the Welsh government allocates public funds to charities and environmental groups, including the RSPB and Wildlife Trusts Wales, while also allowing them to influence taxpayer spending by sitting on the SFS Ministerial Roundtable.

However, the group’s concerns about the Welsh government’s “anti-food production policies” extend well beyond the SFS.

In a letter sent to deputy first minister and minister for food and environmental farming Huw Irranca-Davies, seen by Farmers Weekly, Digon yw Digon highlights the worsening mental health crisis among farmers, exacerbated by policies on bovine TB and nitrate vulnerable zones.

The letter also criticises the Welsh government for failing to represent farmers on inheritance tax (IHT) changes, which they warn will devastate Welsh family farms.

“We are very disappointed that the Welsh Labour administration did not join devolved governments in Scotland and Northern Ireland to oppose the Westminster government’s inheritance tax plans,” said Mr Edwards.

“We have a deputy first minister who contradicts himself by supporting farm IHT despite his claims to protect Welsh farms.”

With the Welsh government set to finalise the details of the SFS in the summer, Digon yw Digon is pushing for a more inclusive consultation process.

It is calling for the government to engage more openly with farmers and to ensure the new agricultural policies reflect both environmental and food security concerns.

NFU Cymru engagement

NFU Cymru has engaged with 1,000 farming businesses, highlighting their concerns about the SFS impact to the Welsh government and calling for economic analysis.

Union president Aled Jones said: “The SFS, inheritance tax, bovine TB and water quality regulations are weighing heavily on and impacting the confidence of Welsh farming families, and their hopes and aspirations.

“NFU Cymru has repeatedly asked government to establish an independent review group to consider the cumulative burden of regulations and policies on Welsh farming.”

A Welsh government spokesperson said: “Through the Sustainable Farming Scheme Ministerial Roundtable and other groups, we are working in partnership with farmers and a range of stakeholders to create a successful future for Welsh farming that will have sustainable food production at the centre.

“This work incudes analysis of the impacts and benefits of the scheme, which will be used to inform the final decision by Welsh ministers later this year in advance of introduction in 2026.”