Rattus is pleased that the disastrous Sustainable Farming Scheme in Wales is being delayed by a year. 

There is more chance that they might get it right. 

The ridiculous proposal that SSSI’s were not included has been fortunately now dropped. 

The only plausible explanation of why they were not included in the original SFS consultation must be that NRW wanted them excluded in the expectation that it could get a massive increase in funds that it controlled, to manage SSSI’s. 

It then failed to get the money.

They must be disappointed as our SSSI’s are in a shocking state and NRW haven’t got any money for anything.

Welsh farmers should press for agriculture to no longer be a devolved issue but a national one.

The Environmental Land Management scheme in England appears to be working and quite generous. 

Roll it out to Wales and farmers would do quite well. 

There is more habitat land in Wales and the funding formula for Welsh government is based on population not area. 

It would at least give farmers certainty so they could plan ahead. 

When the Common Agriculture Policy was in place and the money came from the EU then it made sense that farming was a devolved issue as the key points were decided in Brussels and for example, it was the EU that made the trade deals not the UK.

Rattus is normally in favour of devolving powers but Labour controlled Welsh Government seem to have little interest in farming and a complete lack of empathy for farmers.
Rattus rattus