Welsh government announces £227m post-Brexit rural support

The Welsh government has announced £227m of rural funding to support farmers and land managers in the wake of Brexit.

The cash will be available over the next three years to replace the loss of support through the EU Rural Development Programme, which closes in 2023.

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Funding will be allocated across six themes:

• Farm-scale land management – on-farm sustainable land management actions to enhance natural resources, such as encouraging the growing of crops that provide an environmental benefit
• On-farm environmental improvements – including enhancing fuel, feed and nutrient efficiency, embedding circular economy approaches and encouraging the use of renewable energy
• On-farm efficiency and diversification – supporting investment in new technology and equipment and aiding agricultural diversification
• Landscape-scale land management – delivering nature-based solutions at a landscape scale, through a multi-sectoral collaborative approach
• Woodland and forestry – the Welsh government wants to create 43,000ha of woodland by 2030
• Food and farming supply chains – creating a strong and vibrant Welsh food and drink industry with a global reputation for excellence and environmental/social responsiblity

The six themes tie into the Welsh government’s Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS), which will reward farmers and land managers for environmental work and sustainable food production.

Welsh rural affairs minister Lesley Griffiths said £100m has been allocated to SFS and the various scheme options are either open now or will be launched over the next four months.

This includes grants for organic conversion, horticulture support, on-farm nutrient storage, and grants of between £1,000 and £5,000 for planting trees.

Ms Griffiths said: “The significant funding I am announcing will be key in supporting our farmers, foresters, land managers and food businesses to promote the sustainable production of food and to meet the challenges ahead, supporting the pace and scale of change needed to support the rural economy on the path to a net zero, nature-positive Wales.”

‘More detail needed’

NFU Cymru president Aled Jones welcomed the funding announcement and said he hoped the minister would work with the industry over the coming weeks to share more detail and allow input into the design of the schemes.

He added: “NFU Cymru has set out ambitious plans for the industry to reach net zero by 2040. To achieve our aim, we need measures that support farmers to improve efficiency, capture more carbon on our land and in our soils and boost our production of renewable energy

“We are clear that at the same time as reducing our impact on the climate, we should not reduce our capacity to feed consumers with high quality, affordable Welsh food.”