Welsh livestock farmers call for ‘major overhaul’ of SFS scheme
A major overhaul of the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) will need to take place before it is workable for Welsh livestock farmers, NFU Cymru has warned.
The union’s livestock board met recently to discuss in detail the Welsh government’s third and final consultation on the SFS, which closes for responses on 7 March.
Earlier this week, thousands of Welsh farmers took part in a protest in Cardiff due to heightening concerns at the Welsh government’s vision for the industry.
Rob Lewis, chairman of the board, himself a beef and lamb producer, said after the meeting that the SFS was a ‘major worry’ for livestock farmers.
In its current format, the SFS, Wales’ post-Brexit system of support, stipulates that farmers must have at least 10% tree cover on their land and a further 10% for wildlife habitat.
However, a recent impact assessment commissioned by the government found that it risked reducing 122,000 livestock units, representing a ‘shocking’ 11% fall.
This equates to 800,000 sheep from a total flock of 4.8 million breeding ewes or 122,000 adult beef cattle.
Not only would this impact on the bottom line of thousands of farm businesses, but the whole of the Welsh rural economy would be impacted, Mr Lewis warned.
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