The Welsh Conservatives are to bring forward a Send motion calling for the scrapping of the Welsh Government’s controversial sustainable farming scheme.

Tory Senedd members believe the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) will have a devastating impact on the agriculture sector in Wales. According to the Labour Government’s own economic impact assessment, the SFS will result in a 122,200 reduction in Welsh livestock numbers, 5,500 jobs being lost, and a £199m loss to Wales' economy.

 In the Senedd next Wednesday (28/02/24) the Welsh Conservatives are bringing forward a Senedd motion to remove the requirement for each farm to have 10% tree cover and scrap the current Sustainable Farming Scheme proposals and to re-engage with the farming sector to develop a new scheme that has the support of the farming community.

 Commenting ahead of the debate, Welsh Conservative Shadow Rural Affairs Minister, Samuel Kurtz MS said, “The economic analysis of the Sustainable Farming Scheme speaks for itself. A 122,200 reduction in Welsh livestock numbers, 5,500 jobs on Welsh farms lost, and a £199m loss to Wales' rural economy, without a doubt the SFS will decimate Wales' rural communities.

 “Farming, and rural Wales, needs a friend right now, yet the Labour Government fail to recognise the importance of our farming industry to our economy, society, culture and language and have buried their heads in the sand over the strength of feeling in the agricultural community against the SFS.

 “That's why I'm proud that the Welsh Conservatives are standing shoulder to shoulder with our farming sector, calling out Labour’s failures on TB eradication to NVZs, and calling for the SFS proposals to be scrapped.”

 The motion which will be debated on Wednesday reads:

 1. Regrets that the Welsh Government’s proposed Sustainable Farming Scheme will result in an estimated:

a. 122,200 reductions in Welsh livestock numbers.

b. 5,500 jobs on Welsh farms lost.

c. £199 million loss to the rural economy.

2. Recognises the strength of feeling in the agricultural community against the Sustainable Farming Scheme.

3. Notes the poll commissioned by the Country Land and Business Association in Wales that has found just 3% of Welsh farmers trust the Welsh Government.

4. Calls on the Welsh Government to:

a. remove the requirement for each farm to have 10% tree cover; and

b. scrap the current Sustainable Farming Scheme proposals and to re-engage with the farming sector to develop a new scheme that has the support of the farming community.