Extra funding for Welsh Ffermio Bro agri-environment scheme

Welsh farmers are being offered £5.5m in extra funding over the next two years to sign up to the government’s Ffermio Bro environmental scheme.

The scheme is designed to encourage more nature-friendly farming in designated landscape areas and national parks.

Launched last year, it was seen as a forerunner of the “Collaborative” layer of the Sustainable Farming Scheme, with money available for actions such as hedge planting, flood management and improving habitats.

See also: How the Ffermio Bro agri-environment scheme is bedding in

With £1.8m up for grabs in 2025-26, the scheme was oversubscribed five-fold within four months of opening last May.

Satisfied with the uptake and actions delivered – which saw more than 100,000 trees and 37km of new hedgerow planted, and 6km of stone walls repaired – the Welsh government has upped the funding to £6.5m for 2026-28.

Of this, £5.5m will be directly targeted at farmers, who are encouraged to work collaboratively “to deliver change at scale”.

Each Designated Landscape body will receive a share of the funding depending on its size, and will then work closely with farmers to develop proposals.  

The funding will also enable designated landscape bodies to recruit additional staff, carry out ecological surveys, and provide training and advisory support.

Shared vision 

Wales deputy first minister Huw Irranca-Davies said: “Ffermio Bro’s first year has demonstrated the power of locally led action to support nature-friendly farming when farmers and designated landscapes work together with a shared vision.”

The extra funding has also been welcomed by Welsh farmer representatives.

FUW president Ian Rickman said: “Schemes such as Ffermio Bro demonstrate how farmers can work together at landscape scale to enhance habitats, restore traditional features, and support biodiversity, while maintaining productive farm businesses.

“Through the continued development of the ‘Optional’ and ‘Collaborative’ layers of the Sustainable Farming Scheme, it is important the Welsh government sees the importance of constructive collaboration to ensure that future schemes can maximise the benefits for both farmers and the environment.”