Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs,
, has today written an open
letter to all Welsh farmers who receive payments under the EU
Common Agricultural Policy to explain why the Basic Payment
Scheme (BPS) will not work for Wales following Brexit.
In July, the Cabinet Secretary launched a
consultation, Brexit and our Land, which proposes a
new Land Management Programme to replace the BPS in Wales once
the UK leaves the European Union. The consultation is open
until 30 October.
Loss of tariff-free access to the EU’s market and potential
competition from other parts of the world once the UK begins to
sign Free Trade Agreements will mean Welsh farmers having to
compete in the global marketplace.
The current BPS is insufficiently targeted to respond to these
challenges as it is solely an income support scheme. The
sustainable way to compete is to improve productivity, reduce
costs through greater efficiency and reduced waste and diversify
to meet market needs. These are all areas in which the Welsh
Government wants to focus support through the new schemes
proposed in the consultation.
The proposed Land Management Programme will consist of two large
and flexible schemes - the Economic Resilience Scheme and the
Public Goods Scheme.
The Cabinet Secretary is writing to all farmers to explain the
need for change following a recent FUW campaign to reject the
proposals in the consultation and retain BPS.
The Cabinet Secretary said:
“The Basic Payment Scheme has provided vital support to Welsh
farmers. But it will not protect farmers and communities in the
future.
“Brexit means we have to do things differently. Simply
maintaining current payments cannot offset the negative impacts
from leaving the European Union. Keeping the system would leave
Welsh farmers worse off.
“There is no debate on whether we should support farmers: we will
and we will continue to protect the funding. But we need to
provide support in a different way to keep farmers on the land.
“I am open to new ideas and this is a genuine consultation. But I
am clear that ‘business as usual’ is not an option.
“Our new Land Management Programme will consist of two new large
flexible schemes to support Welsh farmers post-Brexit – the
Economic Resilience Scheme and the Public Goods
Scheme.
“Over the summer, I have taken the opportunity to meet with
farmers in agricultural shows and during other visits to discuss
the consultation. We need farmers to engage properly with us to
help make this work, so the recent misleading FUW campaign is not
helpful. That is why I am today writing to all farmers to
reiterate the case for change. I have also shared with them a
myth-busting factsheet. I urge all farmers to get involved and
share their views with us.”
Notes
See below the open letter from the Cabinet Secretary, with an
attachment: (English and Welsh
attached)
The consultation Brexit and our Land is
available at:
