Cabinet Secretary confirms support available for farmers in 2025

Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, has, today (Wednesday, July 17), confirmed a number of schemes to support farmers and landowners before the Sustainable Farming Scheme is introduced in 2026.

In May, a new timeframe for the Sustainable Farming Scheme was introduced as part of a Welsh Government commitment to listening to farmers and rural communities.

The scheme will now begin in 2026, giving more time to engage with key partners.

Speaking ahead of the Royal Welsh Show, the Cabinet Secretary has announced that the 2025 preparatory phase will include a number of schemes which will provide advice and support to farmers in advance of the introduction of SFS.

The Schemes include:

1. Habitat Wales Scheme is offered in 2025 with all eligible individual farmers able to apply.
2. Existing Habitat Wales Scheme Commons agreements can be extended for 2025.
3. The Organic Support Payment will be maintained for 2025.
4. An extension to Farming Connect to 2026, continuing the knowledge transfer and innovation support on farms.
5. A new Integrated Natural Resources Scheme will support farmer-focussed partnerships delivering nature-based solutions across a landscape, catchment or on a pan Wales scale.  It will continue the transition to a new way of supporting farmers and the vital work they do ahead of the introduction of SFS Collaborative Actions.

In addition to these five schemes, a data confirmation exercise will be launched.  With feedback from farmers who decide to participate the exercise will provide a more accurate picture of the habitat and tree cover across their farm. This is in preparation for Habitat Wales Scheme 2025 and the introduction of SFS.

Farmers who wish to apply for HWS 2025 are encouraged to complete the data confirmation exercise. 

Huw Irranca-Davies said: “The announcement of the schemes is intended to give reassurance to farmers that support will continue to be available in the lead up to 2026.

“We also recognise the transition from the Basic Payment Scheme will be a significant change for many farmers, and we therefore intend to help, guide and support Welsh farmers for a number of years as we finalise and move towards the SFS.”

“We will continue to listen to the sector and work in partnership. Together we can create a future where our farmers produce the very best Welsh food to the highest standards, while safeguarding our precious environment to help tackle the climate and nature emergency.

“We will continue to work with farmers and landowners at pace through the Ministerial Roundtable to finalise the Scheme so that we can provide certainty about future support as soon as possible. Subject to budget availability, we will confirm additional 2025 support schemes later this year.

“We want to deliver a sustainable farming industry which supports thriving rural communities and the Welsh language - sustainable in every sense of the word.”

Notes to editors

Further details on the Preparatory Schemes:

• Habitat Wales Scheme (HWS) 2025: A new application for HWS will be offered to support the management of habitat land between 1 January and 31 December 2025. The scheme will be available to all eligible farmers, regardless of previous participation in Glastir or HWS 2024, and will be available on the Single Application Form (SAF) 2025. Managing habitat land is a key element of SFS; while the final details of the Scheme are to be confirmed, 2025 is another opportunity for farmers to be paid for bringing habitat land under management.

• The Data Confirmation exercise will play an important part in preparing for the Habitat Wales Scheme 2025 and future SFS: This exercise aims to confirm the habitat area, tree canopy and woodland cover on farmland in Wales. The Data Confirmation form will be available via the RPW Online from 22 July to 6 December 2024. Participation is entirely voluntary and will give participating farmers the opportunity to review the underlying maps and data before confirming these important landscape details for their individual farms. This updated information will form the basis of Habitat Wales Scheme 2025 and support SFS in 2026. Farmers will have a further opportunity to amend the details in advance of the SFS starting.
• Management of habitat land – Commons: For 2025 it is proposed that this approach is maintained; only commons with an existing HWS 2024 Grant Award will be eligible to apply for management support in 2025. Offering support to common land not currently supported, will not be possible. To support new common land, a grazing association would need to be established and baseline stocking rates and appropriate consents for any designated sites would be required. This is not be possible within the timescale, but will be supported through SFS.
• Organic Support 2025: A new application round of the Organic Support Payment will be offered, with applications available on the Single Application Form (SAF) 2025. Support will be maintained for fully certified organic farmland between 1 January and 31 December 2025. For 2025, additional land, previously supported under the Organic Conversion Scheme 2022, will become eligible, having become certified fully organic on 1 January 2025 (an additional 2,970 ha).
• Integrated Natural Resources Scheme (INRS): The window for development phase applications is to open in the second half of August.  Existing or new groups or partnerships, which must include farmers can apply, outlining their proposals, for a project development grant. Successful applications will receive grant funding to develop project delivery plans. Successful collaborations with approved development plans will receive future multi-year agreements to deliver the project. INRS is closely aligned with the proposed SFS, and it will be used to inform the Collaborative landscape element of this scheme. It is a pathfinder scheme aimed at supporting the agricultural industry in this transitionary phase.  INRS will work towards the Sustainable Land Management (SLM) objectives as set out in the Agriculture (Wales) Act 2023. Projects will identify the focus or theme for the project. This focus must be related to a national or local challenge or challenges.

• Extension of Farming Connect contract: Developed to support a more professional, profitable and resilient farming industry and land-based sector, the existing Farming Connect offer comprises an integrated programme of knowledge transfer, accredited training and advisory service designed to deliver greater sustainability, improved competitiveness and improved environmental performance. Already a well-respected service, there are over 12,000 businesses registered with the programme, including over 29,500 individuals.  An extension to the current service contract will ensure continued provision and support the introduction of SFS in 2026. 

• It is also an intention to continue to support woodland planning and creation through the Woodland Creation Planning Scheme and the Woodland Creation Grant, subject to available budget.