FUW DISMAYED AT THE SCRAPPING OF TIR MYNYDD PAYMENTS

The Farmers' Union of Wales today expressed strong disappointment at the Welsh Assembly Government's (WAG) monumental decision to scrap Tir Mynydd payments to farmers within Less Favoured Areas (LFA).

The union's sharp reaction followed the announcement by Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones that there will be a shift in approach to land management schemes in Wales.

The Tir Mynydd scheme's objective is to support and maintain livestock production in the LFAs of Wales to avoid land abandonment and rural depopulation.

The current LFA payment, targeted at farmers who face socio-economic and natural handicaps, will be replaced by an optional scheme in which farmers will be paid for providing environmental goods and services.

From 2012, the five existing agri-environment schemes will be replaced by one scheme, Glastir, in an attempt to meet future environmental challenges.

Reacting to the announcement, FUW president Gareth Vaughan said LFA support - which covers 80% of Welsh land - had been available to the farming industry since the Second World War.

''The reason for LFA support is that climate, terrain and topography all place LFA farms at a major disadvantage in terms of food production.

"There is no doubt, therefore, that hill farmers will feel betrayed at the decision to abolish this support," added Mr Vaughan.

FUW senior policy officer Rhian Nowell-Phillips said: "As with the introduction of any new scheme the devil will be in the detail and tomorrow, at a meeting of the union's land use and parliamentary committee, we will be taking a closer look at the proposals and how they will be implemented.

"At first glance it seems the Welsh Assembly Government has given themselves a very ambitious timetable for the introduction of this scheme and, undoubtedly, we have concerns whether they can meet this deadline."