Farm leaders demand rural spending inquiry
FARM leaders and politicians have demanded an independent review of rural spending in Wales amid concerns that funding will be directed away from agriculture.
The Welsh Government has been accused of prioritising the environment over the rural economy in its plans for the revamped Rural Development Programme (RDP), which accounts for around a third of all agricultural spending in Wales.
These fears have been heightened by proposals to move all agri funding to the RDP as the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) – which provides direct payments to farmers
– is phased out.
NFU Cymru insisted any new support framework “must be targeted at rural areas”, while the FUW said the proposals risked putting Welsh farmers at a competitive disadvantage.
FUW president Glyn Roberts is alarmed at the apparent funding shift towards climate, habitat and wildlife objectives.
“The current RDP objectives already include meeting local and global environmental needs, and we fully support the retention of these,” he said.
“However, the Welsh Government’s new proposals are so focussed on environmental outcomes, they risk damaging the economic, social and cultural sustainability of Welsh communities.
“This is a concern highlighted repeatedly by the FUW, given that farmers in other countries will continue to receive some sort of Basic Payment.”
Schemes currently funded through the RDP include Glastir, Farming Connect, the Timber Business Investment Scheme, the Food Business Investment Scheme and Leader.
On Tuesday, shadow rural affairs minister Janet FinchSaunders joined the farm unions in calling for a review of the programme.
In a written question to Lesley Griffiths, her government counterpart, she highlighted industry concerns and reminded her of Auditor-General criticisms of the current RDP’s administration.
She accused the Welsh Government of becoming “too focused on imposing over-excessive red tape on our farmers instead of addressing rural services and infrastructure.”
Cardiff’s plans for the RDP form part of the latest consultation on its proposed Sustainable Farming Scheme.
In this the government also set out 11 technical proposals for simplifying the BPS, which is expected to remain in place for a number of years while a successor scheme is developed.
NFU Cymru president John Davies welcomed moves to remove crop diversification rules and to introduce an advance BPS payment in October.
Also applauded are proposals to treat Welsh and English BPS applications separately in the hope payments will be made quicker to cross-border farmers.
However the uncertainty facing Welsh farmers, from Covid-19 and a possible no-deal Brexit, has intensified since Cardiff said it would continue with the BPS in 2021, said Mr Davies.
He added: “Given all these issues, we would ask that Welsh Government builds on the commitment it made in November 2019, and commits to maintain the BPS at current funding levels for 2022.”