The guest speaker at the latest NFU Cymru Mid Gwynedd meeting was Arwel Jones from the Tir a Môr Llyn project.
The scheme worked on three National Trust farms in the area, with the National Trust funding the payment by results element while work to restore corridors was funded directly through the SMS scheme, a scheme funded under the Wales Rural Development Plan.
He explained that farmers were rewarded for the environmental outcomes, with an emphasis on rewarding the best outcomes with higher payments. Higher biodiversity density would lead to a higher payment. It was emphasised that farmers were paid for the results, a mechanism that gave the farmers freedom about how to acheive those results.
There were wider discussions about how any payment system that replaced the Basic Payment Scheme could be implemented, as well as discussions about the practicalities of establishing contracts and monitoring works under the new arrangements.
The meeting received a policy update that included the latest developments from Welsh Government on its‘Sustainable Farming and our Land’ scheme.
Members were reminded that the next county conference would take place on the evening of Tuesday 12th January 2021, where Sion Aron, Director of Agriculture for the Australian Department of Primary Industries will speak about developing the beef industry - an exciting opportunity to have an international speaker.
Edward Griffith, NFU Cymru Mid Gwynedd Chairman said: “It was very timely to hear about this project from Arwel, as we are now looking towards the scheme that will replace the BPS. Seeing how this scheme works and how it is being developed gives us an understanding of what we may see here in a few years.”
He added: “Caring for the environment, hand in hand with producing high quality food, is exceptionally important to us as an industry, and by meeting both these aims we will ensure success.”