The government has announced its commitment to introduce a new
deal for farmers to address low confidence and provide stability
for the farming sector.
Figures released by the Department for Environment, Food &
Rural Affairs, show confidence remains poor. The data indicates
that half of farmers don't feel positive about their future in
farming. Of those farmers saying they are making
changes, a quarter of plan to reduce the size of
their businesses and 14% plan to leave farming in the next 3-5
years.
The results make clear the need for the end of farmers being
rocked by the chop and change of farming schemes, optimising
Environmental Land Management schemes so they work for all
farmers including those who have been too often ignored such as
small, grassland, upland and tenanted farms, and action by the
new government to restore stability and confidence in the sector.
They follow the negative trend seen across the past few years.
This is a complex problem, with several factors contributing to
this persistent trend. Farmers have been struggling with extreme
weather events like flooding and sudden huge rises in energy
costs and been undermined by damaging trade deals.
The latest Farming Opinion Tracker
for England gives a snapshot of the views and opinions
of the sector between end of April and beginning of
June. The latest results show that trade agreements with
other countries were a factor for 29% of farmers who made changes
to their business.
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs,
said:
Confidence amongst farmers is extremely low.
The new Government will restore stability and confidence in the
sector introducing a new deal for farmers to boost rural economic
growth and strengthen food security alongside nature's
recovery.
We will protect farmers from being undercut in trade deals, make
the supply chain work more fairly, prevent shock rises in bills
by switching on GB Energy, better protect them from flooding
through a new Flood Resilience Taskforce and use the Government's
own purchasing power to back British produce.
The work of change has now begun.
The government is introducing a new deal for farmers to boost
Britain's food security and drive rural economic growth. This
will include:
- Optimising Environmental Land Management schemes so they
produce the right outcomes for all farmers - including those
who have been too often ignored such as small, grassland, upland
and tenanted farms - while delivering food security and
nature recovery in a just and equitable way.
- Seeking a new veterinary agreement with the European Union to
cut red tape at our borders and get British food exports moving
again.
- Protecting farmers from being undercut by low welfare and low
standards in trade deals.
- Using the government's purchasing power to back British
produce
- Setting up a new British Infrastructure Council to steer
private investment in rural areas including broadband rollout in
our rural communities.
- Speeding up the building of flood defences and natural flood
management schemes, including through a new flood resilience
taskforce to protect our rural homes and farms.
- Introducing a land-use framework which balances long-term
food security and nature recovery
