'Farmers' incomes to fall £4.9k in new pay regime'

NEW impact modelling for Welsh agriculture shows incomes could fall 16% - around £4,900 per farm - when a new payments regime starts next year.

- ANDREW FORGRAVE

While the consequences are less severe than the cataclysmic forecasts before the scheme was tweaked, farm leaders say the figures remain “extremely concerning”.

A previous iteration of the scheme led to doomsday forecasts of an 85% fall in farm incomes. Also forecast was a 10.8% reduction in Welsh livestock numbers, along with an 11% cut in job numbers.

This prompted a symbolic display of 5,500 pairs of wellies at the Senedd to represent the number of jobs expected to be lost through the Welsh Government's Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) proposals.

Following protests, the scheme was altered to include a Social Value Payment and give more funding for universal payments to all farmers. A controversial requirement to plant trees on 10% of each farm was also dropped.