{"id":79688,"date":"2023-12-18T10:49:33","date_gmt":"2023-12-18T10:49:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/?p=79688"},"modified":"2023-12-18T11:04:50","modified_gmt":"2023-12-18T11:04:50","slug":"welsh-farmers-could-be-forced-out-of-business-in-bleak-winter-as-funding-laws-and-climate-all-change-warns-nfu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/2023\/12\/18\/welsh-farmers-could-be-forced-out-of-business-in-bleak-winter-as-funding-laws-and-climate-all-change-warns-nfu\/","title":{"rendered":"Welsh farmers could be forced out of business\u00a0in \u201cbleak\u201d winter as funding, laws and climate all change, warns NFU"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

“If I give up, I lose my house, I lose my history, my culture” \u2013 Abi Reader, Deputy President of the National Farmers’ Union Cymru. <\/em>\u00a0<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

WELSH farmers are facing a fight for survival this Christmas as post-Brexit legal changes, extreme weather and funding problems all take their toll.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deputy President of \u00a0National Farmers\u2019 Union Cymru (NFUC)<\/a>, Abi Reader, described the situation as \u201cbleak\u201d and said that Welsh farmers could be forced out of business.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChristmas time can be difficult (for farmers),” said Ms Reader. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But this year could be even harder as uncertainty surrounding agricultural subsidies may threaten rural communities and the food and drinks sector.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Farmers are concerned about the axing of food production subsidies in 2025. A food production subsidy is a sum of money granted by the government to a farmer to keep the price of food down. Ms Reader said that without them the most vulnerable people in society will suffer because they will not be able to afford food.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite discussions between the NFU and the Welsh Government becoming \u201ctoxic\u201d, according to Ms Reader, the government said: \u201cWe remain absolutely committed to supporting farmers and rural communities throughout Wales.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What are the changes to farming subsidies in Wales?<\/strong>  <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Before Brexit, subsidies for farmers in Wales were guaranteed by the EU through two funding streams \u2013 the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) which subsidised food production and Glastir,<\/em> a sustainable land management funding scheme.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These schemes are ending \u2013\u00a0Glastir\u00a0<\/em>on December 31, 2023, and the BPS in 2024. They will be replaced by the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) in 2025.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSeeing Glastir<\/em> coming to an end will have been a massive shock for some farms,\u201d said Ms Reader.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think everybody thought that there was going to be some sort of transition into some other sort of payment to keep them going through, but, actually, that hasn\u2019t been the case.\u201d   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019ll be some farms that will have seen 60-70% of their farm support payment just disappeared.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Welsh Government says an interim scheme \u2013 the Habitat Wales scheme<\/a> \u2013 was put in place until SFS starts to help farmers through the transition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The SFS will have three levels of funding available. To profit from the first level, farmers will have to put 10% of their land into planting trees and a further 10% into habitat conservation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ms Reader said: \u201cThis is a massive, massive barrier and it needs to be more achievable.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Abi