Latest news with #BasicPaymentScheme
Agriland
31-07-2025
- Business
- Agriland
How much were BISS payments worth to your county in 2024?
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon has confirmed that Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) payments were worth over €688 million last year. The minister was responding to a parliamentary question from Sinn Féin TD Conor D. McGuinness. BISS replaced the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) under the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in 2023. Minister Heydon said that the payment is designed to provide a direct income support to Irish farmers to underpin their continued sustainability and viability. "While BISS replaced BPS in 2023 as part of the new CAP, some Pillar 1 funding was allocated to the Complementary Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS) as well as BISS. Therefore, direct county comparisons between BPS and BISS will show differences," he said. The amount of funding distributed to each county under BISS since its introduction can be seen in the following table: County 2024 BISS payment total 2023 BISS payment total Carlow €11,951,400 €12,229,514 Cavan €20,133,221 €20,009,955 Clare €28,329,480 €27,913,532 Cork €85,690,275 €86,219,045 Donegal €38,076,559 €36,880,125 Dublin €4,925,088 €4,944,086 Galway €51,003,189 €50,544,889 Kerry €42,708,864 €41,369,480 Kildare €16,031,008 €16,318,988 Kilkenny €26,373,517 €26,868,563 Laois €19,666,917 €20,078,128 Leitrim €13,273,501 €12,816,677 Limerick €28,395,348 €28,302,359 Longford €10,732,608 €10,772,179 Louth €9,702,365 €9,889,250 Mayo €46,334,704 €44,948,179 Meath €27,582,841 €28,050,912 Monaghan €15,079,196 €15,300,592 Offaly €18,540,259 €18,760,008 Roscommon €23,590,597 €23,384,194 Sligo €15,821,036 €15,389,231 Tipperary €50,258,016 €50,989,278 Waterford €19,871,787 €20,048,387 Westmeath €18,268,933 €18,236,329 Wexford €29,873,279 €30,503,919 Wicklow €16,345,056 €16,276,123 Total €688,559,044 €687,043,922 Source: DAFM The figures show that Cork received the highest total payments under BISS in 2024 at almost €85.7 million, which was down on the previous year (€86.2 million) Galway was in second position on €51 million, closely followed by Tipperary €50.2 million, while Mayo took fourth place with €46.3 million. Dublin was the county with the lowest amount of payments at €4.9 million. Minister Heydon added that BISS payments for this year will commence in October 2025. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) previously confirmed that a total of 123,705 applications for BISS and other area-based schemes were submitted this year. This figure is down from 124,274 scheme applications in 2024. Cork was again the county with the highest number of applications at 12,181, followed by Galway on 11,603 and Mayo with 10,942.
Leader Live
26-07-2025
- 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.
Cambrian News
23-07-2025
- Business
- Cambrian News
Editorial: A new landscape for Welsh farmers
The SFS will replace the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) that is being phased out over the coming years. It is structured around the principle of universal, optional and collaborative layers, providing both a level of universal consistency for all farm businesses and an opportunity to do more if they wish.
Business News Wales
17-07-2025
- Business
- Business News Wales
Wildlife Trusts Wales Warns Sustainable Farming Scheme 'Falls Short for Nature'
Wildlife Trusts Wales has said that the Welsh Government's Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) 'fails to adequately address the urgent climate and nature crisis'. It says it welcomes the move towards a whole-farm approach with the goal of making Welsh farming more sustainable. However, the details released only cover the Universal Tier, which appears to maintain the status quo, it said. It falls short of addressing the pressing nature and climate challenges, the organisation said. Wildlife Trusts Wales said that Welsh farming was currently unsustainable both economically and environmentally. Over the past decade, the number of farms has decreased, resulting in 9,000 job losses, it said, adding that farming continues to be the primary driver of biodiversity loss and greenhouse gas emissions in Wales. The SFS should be a vehicle for change, it said, enabling sustainable food production and transitioning to sustainable land management. Financial support and recognition through the Social Value Payments for carbon storage, air quality, and recreation access are a step in the right direction, it added. The organisation welcomed the tapering of the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), which it said had offered poor value for money. These tapered funds will now go to the proposed Options and Collaborative tiers and they have the potential to support nature friendly farming, but details of these tiers are still lacking, it added. The organisation said: 'We commend the Welsh Government for its transparency and commitment to engaging all stakeholders throughout the SFS review process, including the Roundtable and other forums over the past year.' Rachel Sharp, Director of Wildlife Trusts Wales, said: 'While we welcome elements of the Sustainable Farming Scheme, we remain deeply concerned that the final version will not adequately address the climate and nature crises. Welsh farming is in crisis—fewer farms, fewer jobs, and increasing environmental damage. We need to see an increased budget for the SFS, specifically for the Options and Collaborative tiers, to help farmers transition to nature-friendly farming practices. Only farmers can restore nature and reduce the devastating impacts of climate change, including flooding and droughts.' Wildlife Trusts Wales is calling on the Welsh Government to ensure that the Options and Collaborative tiers of the SFS create a step forward for sustainable farming, and a meaningful shift toward nature recovery and climate resilience. A stronger, more comprehensive scheme will protect Wales' nature and ensure a viable future for farmers, it said.
ITV News
15-07-2025
- Politics
- ITV News
What does the new subsidy mean for Welsh farmers?
The Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies MS, who has responsibility for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, has outlined the new Sustainable Farming Scheme today. What is the Scheme? The Sustainable Farming Scheme is said to be The Welsh Government's way to support farmers, land management and sustainable food production from 2026 onwards. It will pay farmers for actions resulting in environmental, animal welfare and social outcomes above the legal requirements. To be eligible, farmers will be required to manage at least 10% of their farm as habitat. Farmers will be required to carry out 'universal actions' for which they would receive the 'universal baseline payment'. 'Optional' and 'collaborative' actions can be done for additional payments. Farmers can chose to join the scheme but must undertake all 'universal actions' and have sole control of the land to receive the money. There are 12 'universal actions', which include soil health, habitat maintenance and tree and hedgerow planting opportunities. Why is it controversial? Last year thousands of farmers protested outside the Senedd as a result of the proposed Sustainable Farming Scheme. The backlash is based on the fact farmers will have to meet strict environmental targets in return for government funding. There are fears it won't work for all farmers due to complications around land ownership and rights to land. The National Farmers Union in Wales says that the scheme must work for every farm in Wales. Aled Jones, President of NFU Cymru, says that agriculture is the bedrock for Wales' food and drinks sector. "NFU Cymru has long been clear that the Sustainable Farming Scheme must provide at least the same level of stability to farm businesses, rural communities and the supply chain as the Basic Payment Scheme does currently. "In March 2024, NFU Cymru placed 5,500 pairs of wellies on the steps of the Senedd, a deeply moving and poignant depiction of the potential job losses on farm forecast by an impact assessment of a previous version of the Sustainable Farming Scheme. "It is imperative that the revised scheme and budget attached to the SFS, which is expected to be published this week, avoids such a shocking impact on one of Wales' iconic sectors. The SFS must work for all farming sectors and areas of Wales and help ensure that Welsh farming can continue to underpin the £9.3 billion food and farming supply chain." When will the Scheme come into play? From 2026 you will have the choice to enter the Sustainable Farming Scheme or remain with the Basic Payment Scheme which will be phased out by 2029. The current scheme that farmers receive funding from will be worth just 60% of its current value. That means that if farmers want to receive more money from the Welsh Government, they will have to sign up to the Sustainable Farming Scheme next year. What the Welsh Government hope it will achieve? " Our ambition is to see a thriving and confident agriculture sector in Wales, that is built around innovation and growth." "Supports farmers in Wales to produce world class, high-quality, food whilst caring for the environment, tackling and adapting to climate change and building resilience for those who will work and care for this precious land in the years to come."
