'Nonsense' to base farming funding on population

It is "nonsense" to base funding support for farmers on population figures because Wales has more farms than England per capita, a union has said.

Previously funded via the European Union on a needs basis, the move to a new formula will see funding rolled in to the Welsh government's budget – which will be allocated according to population.

Guto Bebb, the Farmers' Union of Wales (FUW)'s chief executive, also called the move "concerning".

The UK Treasury said Wales would receive an "above population" settlement in 2025-26, while the Welsh government said the budget would provide Welsh agriculture with "significantly more funding" than that provided in 2024-25.