James Evans MS has warned that the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Farming Scheme risks creating a system where the big landowning organisations with large areas of habitat land gain most, while farmers producing food struggle to access the same level of support.

Raising the issue in the Senedd, Mr Evans said early indications from the scheme’s opening and the ready reckoner suggest habitat-related payments could heavily reward those with large areas of habitat land, while food-producing farms do not receive the same benefit.

The Brecon and Radnorshire MS said: “Public money should support working farms and rural communities, not create a system that rewards organisations with large areas of habitat land.

“If the incentives are skewed towards habitat payments that only the biggest players can maximise, family food producing farms will be the ones who lose out.

“The Welsh Government must publish clear, transparent impacts of the scheme and ensure it is fair, so farmers producing food aren’t penalised for doing exactly what the country needs them to do.”