New projects to help farmers and land managers prepare for
life outside the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy have been
given the green light, Farming Minister announced today.
Nine organisations have been awarded a share of the
government’s £1 million Future Farming Resilience Funding,
which will support farmers as they prepare for the
transition to a new farming system.
The seven-year Agricultural Transition period will start in
2021 and see the current subsidy system of Direct Payments
– which pay for the amount of land farmed – phased out from
2021 and replaced with a new system that rewards farmers
and land managers for the ‘public goods’ they provide, such
as better air and water quality, improved access to the
countryside and measures to reduce flooding.
After years of being in the EU’s Common Agricultural
Policy, the resilience fund provides grants for a variety
of different projects which aim to help farmers fully
understand the changes ahead and identify how to adapt
their business models – including one-to-one advice on
farms or group information workshops.
Beyond this, the government will help increase productivity
and support diversification through a transformative
package of productivity grants, launching in 2021. Ahead of
the future Environment Land Management (ELM) scheme being
fully rolled out, farmers and land managers are also being
encouraged to apply for Countryside Stewardship (CS) as an
additional income stream so they can start delivering
environmental benefits on their land now.
Farming Minister said:
We are transforming British farming to boost
productivity, enhance our environment for future
generations and support a strong food production sector.
Whilst we’re not switching off direct payments overnight,
we recognise this is a time of huge change for the
industry, and we want to help our land managers grasp the
exciting opportunities our domestic agricultural policy
will provide.
This funding is just one way we will support our
hard-working farmers as they prepare for the transition
towards a new farming system that works for the whole of
the country.
The funding delivered today will go towards projects that
provide support for farmers, including through information
sessions, workshops, one to one advice on-farm and business
reviews. This initial phase will be thoroughly evaluated to
inform future decisions about expanding the Future Farming
Resilience Funding in the future, so that more farmers have
access to advice and guidance around future change.
This funding will go to rural-facing organisations across a
range of sectors and regions in England and is set to
benefit approximately 1,700 farmers this year.
The grants have been awarded following a competitive
process from September to November 2019. The projects will
be carried out by Bishop Grosseteste
University , Brown &
Co , Devon County
Council , Ricardo-AEA , RSK-ADAS , Soil
Association and SRUC (Scotland’s Rural
College).
Farmers and land managers should follow these organisations
on social media and sign up to mailing lists to hear about
local information events and available support.
