The Welsh branch of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU Cymru) has called for further clarity on the budget for the new Habitat Wales Scheme.
The scheme, which is an interim scheme between Glastir ending in December and the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) beginning in SFS, opens for applications on Friday (September 29).
However, details around the budget for the new interim scheme are unclear, which NFU Cumru has said is “unsettling” for those considering entering.
“As developments unfold we are increasingly anxious for Glastir contract-holders, many of whom have been participants in agri-environment schemes for decades and who have adapted their businesses as a result, who could well lose a significant part of their income in 2024,” NFU Cymru Rural Affairs Board chair Hedd Pugh said.
“We’ve had no reassurances that the new, interim scheme will match levels of income currently received through Glastir.
“For an industry that is so reliant on certainty and long-term planning – and having weathered significant financial storms and volatility in the last year – it is very difficult for farmers to make a commitment to this scheme when we still don’t know the budget available with only three months until the scheme begins,” he added.
Announcing the opening date for Habitat Wales Scheme applications on yesterday (Monday, September 25), Minister for Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths said she will confirm the scheme’s budget once the Welsh government’s overall budget is decided on.
The Welsh government’s financial position after the UK’s Spring Budget in March is £900 million lower in real terms.
“As you’ll be aware, the Cabinet has been working throughout the summer to do everything we can to mitigate these budgetary pressures,” Griffiths said.
“Once this work has been completed, I will be in a position to confirm the budget for the scheme.”
