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Kirsty Williams, AM for Brecon and Radnorshire and the Welsh Liberal Democrat spokesperson on Rural Affairs, has once again criticised the Welsh Assembly Government’s flawed flagship agricultural policy Glastir during an Assembly debate on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) today.
Kirsty Williams said:
"CAP reform will be absolutely crucial in supporting agriculture in Wales in the future. Single Farm Payments make up between 80 and 90 per cent of many farm incomes, and moving to area based payments will cause great upheaval, especially in areas such as my own Brecon and Radnorshire who have traditionally benefitted from the historical based payments. I am therefore very pleased that the Rural Development Sub Committee has seen fit to investigate the CAP at this stage.
“Adequate incomes for farmers are crucial for food security and the protection of our natural environment. It is ironic therefore that whilst the Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones accepts the need for agriculture to play its part in preserving our environment we are in the middle of the debacle that is Glastir. The scheme is so chaotic that many farmers will not enter the scheme and all of the environmental management carried out by farmers under previous agri environmental schemes will be lost. Time is running out for the Minister to look again at the scheme, and I urge her to do so.”
1 comment:
The devil is in the detail!
Farmers must choose from a range of 39 different land management options to achieve the number of points required to qualify for Glastir. Farmers have complained to me that they cannot understand some land management options and this problem must be addressed urgently.
There is no provision for project officer support for the entry-level scheme although Glastir may necessitate a different way of working for a number of farmers not previously in Tir Gofal. Without support, there is the risk that some farmers may select the easiest prescriptions, rather than basing their decisions on what is most suitable or environmentally beneficial for the farm.
A number of farmers have found it difficult to achieve the required 28 points per hectare over the whole farm to access the scheme. Badly affected are those farmers who were part of the Tir Gofal scheme and who have therefore already carried out much of the work that would earn them points under Glastir.
Any capital costs incurred by farmers must be paid for using annual management payments, and where the work required is considered to be expensive, many may decide not to enter. The absence of a capital works element to the entry-level scheme is likely to have a knock on effect on the rural economy.
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