Farming and countryside

Our magazine Gwlad has information on rural affairs and is available in print and on this website.

Under the European Union's (EU) Common Agricultural Policy, we make payments to farmers who;

• keep their land in good agricultural condition, and;
• comply with environmental, public and animal health and welfare requirements.

The Single Payment Scheme runs alongside the Tir Cymru programme, which covers Tir Cynnal, Tir Gofal and Tir Mynydd.  

Rural Development Plan for Wales 2007-2013

The Rural Development Plan 2007-2013 (RDP) is the mechanism by which the Welsh Assembly Government will deliver the activities under the EU Rural Development Regulation (EC 1698/2005). The RDP was approved by the European Commission on 20 February 2008. It secures EU funding from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), a ring-fenced amount from Structural Funds and receipts from compulsory modulation.

It is a strategic policy document and so does not contain operational detail on the individual schemes that will be implemented. That level of detail will be set out in the scheme guidance that is currently being developed with internal/external stakeholders. It is not subject to formal ratification by the Commission.

The activities permitted under the RDP are as follows:

• Axis 1  Improving the competitiveness of the agriculture and forestry sectors
• Axis 2  Improving the environment and the countryside
• Axis 3  Enhancing the quality of life in rural areas and the diversification of  the rural economy
• Axis 4  Adopting the Leader approach for community regeneration

The overall projected spend for the RDP is estimated at some £795 million over the period 2007-2013 of which some £195 million comes from the EU.