Farmers need detail of the proposed Sustainable Land Management framework as soon as possible, says an agricultural advisor.

Manon Williams, partner in specialist agricultural solicitors Agri Advisors, said farmers felt they couldn’t plan for the future because they were unclear on what to expect.

Speaking at a CLA Cymru event, Sustainable Farming and Our Land, at the Virtual Royal Welsh Show Manon urged Welsh Government to release as much detail as possible, as soon as possible. She called for information on eligibility, goals, details of how farms would be measured and how much they would be paid, saying she wanted to see this level of detail made available at least a year before any measures were implemented.

But she conceded:

“Most farmers would agree that some sort of change is needed. There are definitely flaws in the current system.”

The panel heard a message from Lesley Griffiths, Minister for the Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs, who outlined how Welsh Government’s Sustainable Farming and Our Land consultation has presented a case for future funding to support and reward farmers who operate sustainable systems.

Manon said:

“Although the numbers in the consultation have been high I don’t feel that farmers are that engaged with the consultation. It’s difficult to get engagement with the amount of uncertainty we are facing. We need enough time for those who won’t be eligible to go to Plan B – whether that’s restructuring, or potentially even an exit strategy.”

It's also important that the new scheme allows farmers to continue to be entrepreneurial and collaborative, she said.

Lesley Griffiths said Welsh Government would be publishing a White Paper before the end of the current Senedd term setting out plans for the Agricultural Wales Bill to be introduced in the next term. “There will a transition period long enough for farmers to adapt,” she said.

• Watch the full discussion here….