Thousands of farmers across Wales have received advance payments under two major agricultural support schemes, providing financial relief at a challenging time for the industry.
The Welsh Government has confirmed that 90% of farms claiming under the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) Universal Layer and 94% of those claiming under the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) have now received their advance payments.
This year, the advance payment rate for both schemes has been increased from 70% to 80%, allowing farmers to access a greater proportion of their expected funding earlier than usual.
The decision was taken in response to the unprecedented challenges facing the agricultural sector this year, with the aim of easing financial pressures on farm businesses.
Advance payments will continue to be issued over the coming weeks as outstanding claims are checked and confirmed, ahead of balance payments beginning in mid-December.
Full and remaining balance payments will follow once claims have been fully processed, with all but the most complex cases expected to be settled by the end of March 2027.
Farmers claiming under the SFS Universal Layer will also need to update their SFS Universal Dashboard through RPW Online before they can receive their balance payment.
The payments form part of a wider package of support introduced by the Welsh Government in recent weeks to help the farming industry respond to difficult conditions.
Measures include extending the permitted period for spreading slurry, introducing derogations on certain crop and habitat management requirements, and providing grants to support climate adaptation.
These grants will help farmers invest in measures such as boreholes and water harvesting equipment, aimed at improving resilience to changing weather conditions.
The Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability, Llyr Gruffydd, said:
“Payments have already reached the vast majority – ninety per cent of farmers claiming SFS – and considering that this is the very first year of a brand-new scheme I see that as a big win. We’ll keep paying advance payments over the coming weeks.
“I urge farmers to check their RPW Online accounts in case there are outstanding queries to respond to which might hold up their advance payment.
“We’ve increased advance payments from 70% to 80% for this year, so farms can get more of what is expected, sooner and when they need it most.
“This government will continue to back farmers with the certainty, flexibility and support they need.”
Farmers who have yet to receive their advance payments are being encouraged to check their RPW Online accounts for any outstanding queries that could delay their claims.
The Welsh Government said payments would continue to be processed as checks are completed, with the increased advance payment rate intended to provide greater financial certainty for farming businesses during a particularly difficult year.
