FUW STRESSES HILL FARMERS MUST NOT LOSE OUT UNDER GLASTIR

The Farmers' Union of Wales today repeated its plea that hill farmers claiming Tir Mynydd must not lose out during the restructuring of funding for agri-environment schemes in Wales within Axis 2 of the Rural Development Plan (RDP) 2007-13.

"The Welsh environment relies heavily on farming families and the majority of farming families rely significantly on the existing Tir Mynydd scheme, one of five agri-environment schemes in Wales due to be replaced by the Glastir scheme," said FUW senior policy officer Rhian Nowell-Phillips.

"Farmers in the Tir Mynydd scheme must be assured that the new Glastir scheme is carefully drawn up in a way that ensures it is not overly prescriptive or bureaucratic and, above all else, fills the gulf created by the abandonment of half a century of handicap payments.

"As part of the stakeholder group that will help formulate the Glastir scheme, the FUW is committed to doing all it can to ensure the scheme is as practical and beneficial as is possible but, like thousands of farmers across Wales, the union has major concerns regarding the impact it will have on our rural communities."

Ms Nowell-Phillips was speaking after rural affairs minister Elin Jones disclosed farmers in the existing Tir Cynnal and Tir Gofal agri-environment schemes will be offered an extension of their annual management payments until the end of 2013.

"We welcome the minister's announcement on the transitional arrangements for those in agri-environment schemes but for those who rely on the Tir Mynydd scheme to maintain farm incomes, ensuring that the Glastir scheme is accessible to all will be important for the viability of rural areas," Ms Nowell-Phillips added.

Farmers in the existing Tir Cynnal and Tir Gofal schemes will be able to join Glastir by selecting options complementary to the existing environmental services they are delivering.

Existing agreement holders in the Organic Farming scheme will also be able to enter Glastir when their current contract ends.

All holdings certified as wholly organic will be eligible for a 50 per cent reduction on the points required to enter the scheme in recognition of the environmental benefits derived from their organic status.

An organic conversion fund will also be included within the Glastir scheme. Agreement holders wishing to convert to organic farming or bring additional land into organic status will be able to apply for funding from this fund.

Ms Jones said farmers currently receiving Tir Mynydd will be eligible for a 20 per cent premium on joining Glastir irrespective of whether they have also extended an existing Tir Gofal or Tir Cynnal arrangement.

The 20 per cent premium also applies to organic farmers in Tir Mynydd who are eligible for the discounted points requirement for joining Glastir.