’The Tir Mynydd support payment, which farmers in Less Favoured Areas of Wales have started to receive today, will come as a timely boost to hill and upland farmers who are faced with spiralling costs of production,’’ John Owen, Chairman of the NFU Cymru LFA Board, said after a recent board meeting.
Mr Owen added, ’This support will be sorely missed when it comes to an end this spring. The Welsh Government’s continued refusal to recognise the difficulties and constraints associated with farming in the hills and uplands of Wales is most regrettable. With 80% of the agricultural land of Wales designated as LFA the support payments provided under Tir Mynydd have been critical in ensuring the continued viability of livestock farming in the uplands and have been a much needed source of income for many of our rural communities.
The loss of Tir Mynydd receipts will come as a huge blow to our upland areas in 2013.
’The Welsh Government has already announced that the European Commission won’t allow a LFA differential to the payment rates for the All Wales element of Glastir, however we are assured from our discussions with the Commission that compensatory payments to farms affected by natural handicaps, such as the LFA farms of Wales, could still be provided under a specific LFA scheme such as Tir Mynydd. Our upland farmers will be disadvantaged given that Wales will shortly be alone within the UK and much of the rest of Europe in no longer having a dedicated LFA support scheme to compensate for the particular hardships and challenges of farming within LFA areas.’
NFU Cymru LFA board members also received an update on the European Commission’s proposals for re-mapping the LFA boundary within the European Union.’ John Owen said, ’The Welsh Government has stated that its aim is to see minimal changes to the LFA boundary in Wales. Whilst this is heartening it will be of little tangible benefit to LFA farmers in Wales without the provision of a dedicated LFA support scheme by the Welsh Government.’
John Owen concluded, ’NFU Cymru will continue to lobby the Welsh Government to use all the options at its disposal under the EU Rural Development Regulations to reinstate a dedicated LFA support scheme which recognises the additional costs associated with farming in the hills and uplands of Wales.’
