The government has announced that it will introduce a new deal for farmers, following figures from Defra which indicate that confidence remains poor across the sector.
Data shows that half of farmers do not feel positive about their future in the industry, with a quarter planning to reduce the size of their businesses and 14% planning to leave farming within the next five years.
According to Defra it shows that the industry is being shaken by changes to farming schemes, and the government has promised to optimise the Environmental Land Management schemes so that they work for all farmers.
It added that other problems were complex, including extreme weather events and the rise in energy costs. Trade agreements were also a factor for 29% of those polled.
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed 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 new deal for UK farming is reportedly designed to boost food security and drive rural growth. It 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