"I have always had the back of our farmers and for our rural communities," says Powys politician, who wanted to scrap the Sustainable Farming Scheme

Last week, I was bitterly disappointed to see Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru vote against the Welsh Conservative motion to finally scrap the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS).

The SFS, as it stands, would devastate Welsh agriculture. 

The Welsh Government’s own figures predict a loss of 56,000 livestock, almost 1,200 jobs, and over £76 million in farm business income.

Those numbers are shocking, and that’s before adding the effects of UK Labour’s proposed inheritance tax changes on family farms, or the ongoing challenges of TB and emerging diseases like Bluetongue.

Farmers have made their concerns loud and clear. 

The NFU has warned that the sector needs “economic stability,” while the FUW has said the SFS’s “possible impacts remain concerning.” I agree with both. 

The current scheme doesn’t protect food production or food security, it leans far too heavily on environmental targets and fails to give farmers the stability they need to plan for the future.

That’s why the Welsh Conservatives brought forward a debate to scrap the SFS and replace it with our own Welsh Farming and Countryside Scheme (WFCS). 

Our plan would prioritise food security, support active farmers, and give long-term certainty through stable baseline payments. 

If elected in May 2026, a Welsh Conservative Government would provide an extra £100 million for farmers over the next Senedd term to get the industry back on track.

When I served as Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs, I helped shape the WFCS, one that removes compulsory tree-planting targets, reduces bureaucracy, and gives farmers more flexibility. 

It’s been seven years since the first version of the SFS was proposed, and despite small improvements, it still risks driving Welsh livestock and farm jobs to record lows.

Our message is simple: farmers deserve a scheme that works with them, not against them. Food production and food security must be at the heart of everything we do, and that’s exactly what the Welsh Conservatives will deliver.

Brecon and Radnorshire Senedd Member James Evans