Thousands of Welsh farms receive BPS advance payments

Thousands of farm businesses across Wales have received Basic Payment Scheme payments today, while the Welsh Government continues to work with the industry and unions to develop proposals for the delayed Sustainable Farming Scheme

£157.8m has been paid to over 15,500 Welsh farm businesses today (14 October) as Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) 2024 advance payments are made.

More than 96% of claimants received a BPS advance on 14 October, worth approximately 70% of their estimated claim value

Rural Payments Wales (RPW) continues to make advance payments beyond this date, as individual BPS claims become eligible for an advance.

The Deputy First Minister, Huw Irranca-Davies, with responsibility for Rural Affairs, said: “I am pleased that thousands of farms across Wales have now had the BPS advance payments for 2024.

“I hope this gives farming businesses and families across Wales reassurance and stability for the year ahead.

“Rural Payments Wales will be working hard to ensure full and remaining balance payments are made as early as possible once the payment window opens in December.”

Concerns

A Senedd Committee has outlined serious concerns about the Welsh Government’s controversial farm subsidy reforms.

A highly critical report by the Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee on the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) was published on July 22 – the first day of the Royal Welsh Show.

It branded the SFS as “beset with delays, mis-communication and unprecedented levels of concern about whether it can deliver.”

The Senedd Committee report outlines concerns about the scheme’s design, its targets for tree cover and the methodology of payments to farmers.

Committee members say significant fears have been raised that it is not taking into consideration the future of farming by supporting new entrants and tenant farmers.

The Committee says it heard frustrations from environmental organisations about delays to the scheme.

The report calls on ministers to ensure the SFS is accessible to all farmers, regardless of their farm type and tenure.

It also called for a sharp focus on the protection of the future of farming and food production baring in mind the climate and nature emergencies.

Since the passing of the Agriculture (Wales) Act last summer and mass protests from farmers, the Welsh Government has delayed the introduction of the SFS to work with the industry and unions to develop proposals further.

The scheme will be rolled out in 2026 with a number of interim payment plans available in the meantime.

Tree cover

The SFS in its original form would have required farmers to farm sustainably by bringing their existing tree and woodland cover up to 10% – and earmarking another 10% for habitat.

Farmers and opposition politicians in the Senedd argued that this would never be practical whilst running a farm business and unions said the tree cover requirement represented a “major barrier” to scheme entry.

The Committee says increasing tree planting is essential if Wales is to meet its climate change targets but acknowledged the strong feeling from farmers that this would make many businesses unviable.

Work developing this scheme began over seven years ago, and with recently announced delays, the Committee is calling for the Welsh Government to publish a timetable for the next stages as soon as possible.

The Committee says that they are open to alternatives to the tree cover requirement as long as they deliver the intended results.