No ANC for Wales - so pressure must be kept up for disadvantaged
2nd October 2014
It was not a huge surprise this week when Rebecca Evans, Welsh Government Deputy Minister for Farming and Food, announced that Wales would not be operating an ANC scheme (top-up payments for farms in Areas of Natural Constraint) under the new CAP rules.
It had been made fairly clear from an early stage that the Welsh Government was not interested in such an approach, and while NSA Cymru/Wales is disappointed at the decision, we will keep up the pressure on the Welsh Government to follow through on its intention to directly target farm businesses severely affected by the move from an historical payment to an area rate in Wales.
Helen Davies, NSA Cymru/Wales Development Officer, says: “Those affected by the very low moorland rate in Wales must not be forgotten, and if the Welsh Government will not utilise an ANC scheme to direct extra money to geographically disadvantaged areas then it is essential that alternative steps are taken and that this information is shared as a matter of urgency, so those farm businesses can prepare.”
