Llyr Gruffydd MS, Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability
I wish to update Members of the Senedd on the number of claims received for the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) - Universal Layer and the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) following the closure of the 2026 Single Application Form (SAF) window.
Claims for the SFS – Universal Layer and BPS were made via the SAF. For the 2026 claim year, a total of 16,310 SAFs were received. Of these, 8,104 farmers submitted a claim for the SFS - Universal Layer and 8,038 farmers claimed BPS. The declared farmland area for SFS - Universal Layer is 905,545 hectares, with 384,399 hectares being declared for BPS. More information relating to the schemes is available at Annex A.
I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the farming unions and independent agents for their continued support throughout the SAF application period. Their guidance and assistance have played an important role in helping farmers understand scheme requirements, complete applications, and submit claims within the required deadlines.
Rural Payments Wales (RPW) will now undertake a series of validation and verification checks on all claims. This work is a key part of preparing for SFS – Universal Layer and BPS payments later in the year, ensuring that claims are accurate, compliant, and processed efficiently so that payments can be made as promptly as possible.