Rural Development Plan
The Rural Development Plan for Wales was created by the Welsh Assembly Government to deliver the activities under the European Union's Rural Development Regulation (EC 1698/2005). The Plan was approved by the European Commission in February 2008 and will run until 2013 with an estimated £795 million pounds (including £195 million from the EU) will be spent during this period. RDP receives funding from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) as well as a ring fenced amount from Structural Funds and receipts from Compulsory Modulation.
Axis 1 of the Rural Development Plan focuses on improving the competitiveness of the agriculture and forestry sectors. Schemes in Axis 1 include Farming Connect and the Farm Advisory Service. Also included is the Supply Chain Efficiencies Scheme. This Scheme is designed to support farmers and businesses to find new and alternative markets and aims to offer financial support for collaborative projects that develop new products, processes and technologies in the agriculture, food and forestry sectors.
In 2009, The Welsh Assembly's Minister for Rural Affairs Elin Jones AM announced that HCC would receive £4.5 million to run three projects under the Rural Development Plan. The aim of the projects is to increase financial returns for beef and sheep farmers in Wales, exploit the latest technology to advance best practice and source a wider range of economic and market intelligence to improve strategic planning.
The three approved projects run by HCC are:
