WELSH farmers have been given more time to comply with tree planting requirements of 10 per cent of farmland.

The latest Sustainable Farming Scheme proposal gives farms until 2030 and stipulates the figure only applies to land where conditions allow.

Farmers would be given a top-up payment for the first five years to allow them to work towards the new requirements without losing money.

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The plans will be open to consultation until March, with the scheme due to come into effect in 2025. 

Lesley Griffiths, minister for rural affairs, said: "We have seen first-hand the impact of extreme weather patterns such as drought and floods on farming.

"These events will only increase in frequency and are the biggest threat to sustainable food production. That is why we must ensure future support for the industry addresses this issue."

Other changes being considered in the new consultation include reducing the minimum amount of land which needs to be farmed to claim subsidies, which the government said made it more likely small-scale horticulturalists as well as traditional farmers would apply.

Forestry Journal: Lesley GriffithsLesley Griffiths (Image: Welsh Government)

But details of payment rates will not be revealed until summer 2024, just months before the scheme begins.

The Sustainable Farming Scheme is set to take effect in 2025, replacing European Union payments that had been worth over £300m a year to Welsh farms.