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Powys County Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Powys County Times
Letter: We must all hope new scheme works for farmers
Rattus was not impressed by the 2024 version of the Sustainable Farming Scheme SFS which will shortly replace the BPS payments in Wales which have kept most farms in profit for years. The latest version has dropped the 10% tree cover which was always going to be a major ask for many farmers but also a major contributor to acrimonious disputes. It also restored SSSI's to be included which was one of the ludicrous parts of the previous iteration. OK it is not perfect but correctly is focused on public money for public goods. Why should Welsh Government subsidize farmers to produce lamb for Europeans to eat? There are aspects of SFS that Rattus and farmers will struggle to understand such as the need for on farm soil testing UA1. There are aspects such as the Veterinary requirement UA12 that will make life difficult for landowners that let their land. The aspiration to restore hedgerows should be applauded but the details of payment rates will severely affect take up. What is missing is advice and guidance from the properly informed, who know your farm and your business and can point you in the right direction. That is not going to be easy but the reference to collaborative action via the Integrated Natural Resources Scheme might be the way forward. Welsh Government and RPW are reluctant to engage, hopeless at communication and fed up with being sworn at. They are not the best partners to restore biodiversity in Wales. If they tried to behave like real people you could talk to not AI automatons this might actually work. There is no point in demanding a different scheme. After seven-plus years it is what it is.
Free Malaysia Today
3 days ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Indonesia says its poverty rate is at its lowest in 20 years
Indonesia's statistics bureau noted the significant poverty gap between big cities and rural areas. (AP pic) JAKARTA : The number of Indonesians living under the poverty line has hit a record low for the past two decades, the country's statistics bureau said today. According to the central statistics agency, there were roughly 23.85 million Indonesians living in poverty as of March this year – representing 8.47% of the country's total population of 280 million. BPS categorises people living off Rp609,160 a month, about US$37, as poor. 'The poverty line figure for 2025 is the lowest for the past two decades,' the agency's senior official, Ateng Hartono, told a press conference. However, the agency noted the significant gap between big cities and rural areas, with villages still seeing a higher poverty rate. Jakarta last week struck a trade deal with the US that will see Indonesian goods hit with a 19% tariff – lower than the threatened rate of 32%. According to Washington, nearly all US goods will be able to enter Indonesia tariff-free. Indonesia's coordinating minister of economics Airlangga Hartarto said earlier this week that if Washington had insisted on the 32% tariff, around a million Indonesians could lose their jobs and the poverty rate could increase.
Leader Live
4 days ago
- Business
- Leader Live
Farmers Union of Wales reacts to Sustainable Farming Scheme
Last week, the Welsh Government published the final version of the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS). This Scheme will be the primary mechanism through which farm businesses in Wales will be able to apply for farm support from 2026 onwards as the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) is phased out over the coming years. Since the initial Brexit and Our Land consultation in 2018, the FUW, its officials and staff have invested a remarkable amount of resources into lobbying, negotiating and challenging the Welsh Government in order to try and secure a workable Scheme for the future of our thriving, sustainable family farms and food production across Wales. We can assure FUW members and the wider agricultural community that we left no stone unturned over the past seven years in our ambition to secure a viable post-Brexit farm support framework. We therefore welcome key successes, including securing a total budget for the Universal Baseline Payment and BPS taper combined of £238 million, providing workable payment rates and much needed stability for the sector. This includes the provision of universal payments for common land rights holders. Our lobbying efforts have also retained and strengthened the application of capped and redistributive payments, a longstanding policy position for the FUW and one that maximises the amount of money going to typical Welsh family farms and rural communities. However, we accept that the Scheme is not perfect. The 10% habitat Scheme Rule will be a concern for many as will the Scheme-level ambition to plant 17,000 hectares of trees by 2030. The shorter BPS transition will also be a bitter pill, with the BPS payment now falling to 60% in 2026 and reducing by 20% per year thereafter. We have been consistent in our calls for the BPS transition to follow five equal reductions starting at 80% in 2026 as was initially proposed by the Welsh Government. This Scheme will be different to what we have historically considered as direct farm support or subsidies. I therefore urge all Welsh farmers to consider the Scheme requirements and payment rates in the context of your own businesses. Whether farmers decide to enter the SFS at any point in the future, or continue with the tapering BPS and operate without farm support thereafter, the FUW is here to support you and your businesses throughout the transition period and beyond.
Business Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Times
Indonesia says its poverty rate the lowest in two decades
[JAKARTA] The number of Indonesians living under the poverty line has hit a record low for the past two decades, the country's statistics bureau said on Friday (Jul 25). According to the Central Statistics Agency, there were roughly 23.85 million Indonesians living in poverty as of March this year – representing 8.47 per cent of the country's total population of 280 million. BPS categorises people living off Rp 609,160 a month, about US$37, as poor. 'The poverty line figure for 2025 is the lowest for the past two decades,' the agency's senior official, Ateng Hartono, told a press conference. However, the agency noted the significant gap between big cities and rural areas, with villages still seeing a higher poverty rate. Jakarta last week struck a trade deal with the United States that will see Indonesian goods hit with a 19 per cent tariff – lower than the threatened rate of 32 per cent. According to Washington, nearly all US goods will be able to enter Indonesia tariff-free. Indonesia's Coordinating Minister of Economics Airlangga Hartarto said earlier this week that if Washington had insisted on the 32 per cent tariff, around one million Indonesians could lose their jobs and the poverty rate could increase. AFP
The Star
4 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Indonesia says its poverty rate the lowest in two decades
The Central Statistics Agency noted the significant gap between big cities and rural areas, with villages still seeing a higher poverty rate. - Antara JAKARTA:The number of Indonesians living under the poverty line has hit a record low for the past two decades, the country's statistics bureau said Friday (July 25). According to the Central Statistics Agency, there were roughly 23.85 million Indonesians living in poverty as of March this year -- representing 8.47 per cent of the country's total population of 280 million. BPS categorises people living off Rp 609,160 a month, about US$37, as poor. "The poverty line figure for 2025 is the lowest for the past two decades," the agency's senior official, Ateng Hartono, told a press conference. However, the agency noted the significant gap between big cities and rural areas, with villages still seeing a higher poverty rate. Jakarta last week struck a trade deal with the United States that will see Indonesian goods hit with a 19 per cent tariff -- lower than the threatened rate of 32 per cent. According to Washington, nearly all US goods will be able to enter Indonesia tariff-free. Indonesia's Coordinating Minister of Economics Airlangga Hartarto said earlier this week that if Washington had insisted on the 32 per cent tariff, around one million Indonesians could lose their jobs and the poverty rate could increase. - AFP
