Half of Welsh farmers stay with BPS over new SFS

Half of Welsh farmers applying for direct support this year have opted to remain in the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), despite 40% cuts to payments and the launch of the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS).

The new support scheme, which has been in development for nearly a decade, has been shrouded in controversy and had attracted significant opposition from the industry before its launch.

It is intended to become the future foundation of farm support in Wales.

See also: High vet costs within SFS options challenged by FUW

Farmer uptake

New figures released following the closure of the 2026 Single Application Form window on Tuesday 9 June, show 16,310 applications were submitted.

Of those, 8,104 farmers applied for the SFS Universal layer, while 8,038 chose to claim BPS.

The figures provide the first indication of farmer uptake since the SFS was introduced, marking a significant change in agricultural support following the UK’s departure from the EU.

Farmers entering the SFS declared a total of 905,545ha of land, compared with 384,399ha declared under BPS.

The sheep and beef sectors accounted for the largest number of SFS applications, with 5,684 and 4,539 claims respectively.

Dairy farmers submitted 754 applications, while 1,026 came from the horticulture sector.

Welcome participation level

Speaking in the Senedd on Wednesday 10 June, Plaid Cymru rural resilience and sustainability minister Llyr Gruffydd welcomed the level of participation.

“I’m committed to evolving this scheme. I’m on the same page as the farming unions here. It’s evolution, not revolution,” he said.

Mr Gruffydd described it as positive that about half of applicants had entered a scheme with no established track record and limited long-term funding certainty.

He added that the new Welsh government would continue to listen to feedback from farming unions and the wider industry to identify barriers and make improvements.

Ongoing concern

Opposition parties, however, argued the figures highlighted ongoing concerns within the sector.

Reform Cymru’s shadow cabinet minister for food, farming and rural affairs, Laura Anne Jones MS, said the uptake reflected farmers’ worries about complexity, bureaucracy and uncertainty.

“The figures released by the Welsh government today confirm what many farmers have been saying for some time: the Sustainable Farming Scheme is too complex, too restrictive and too bureaucratic,” she said.

“Farmers need certainty and security, not endless paperwork and rigid requirements that fail to reflect the realities of farming in Wales.”

Ambiguity and uncertainty

West Wales beef farmer Liam Davies Jones was among those who chose to remain in BPS.

“There is too much ambiguity and uncertainty surrounding the SFS for us to commit this year,” he told Farmers Weekly.

“I believe more thought needs to go into food production over habitat and tree planting procedures.”

Mr Davies Jones said that remaining in BPS had left the business about £6,000 worse off, but he preferred to wait and see how the scheme develops under the new Plaid Cymru-led government.

Further work needed

Farmers’ Union of Wales president Ian Rickman said the figures demonstrated that, while the scheme had improved significantly during its development, further work was needed.

“The uptake data highlights the work that still needs to be done to ensure the scheme is fully accessible and appealing to all eligible farmers,” he said.

“We look forward to working with the minister to address these issues and further strengthen the scheme to ensure it truly delivers for the sector.”

NFU Cymru president Abi Reader agreed there is a need to further evolve the scheme.

“Given that the BPS will be completely phased out by 2029 and the SFS will be the main support scheme for farmers in Wales, it is imperative that the scheme works for all farms, in all sectors across all of Wales,” she said.