Minister of State for Food (): We are undertaking
the most significant reform of agricultural policy and spending
in England in decades as we take England out of the EU’s
bureaucratic and damaging Common Agricultural Policy. Today I am
setting out detailed plans for the nation’s farming sector,
supporting farmers to be profitable and resilient as they produce
food sustainably while protecting nature and enhancing the
environment.
These plans build on the announcements made at the Oxford Farming
Conference earlier this month. They provide clarity and certainty
to farmers, allowing them to make business decisions and cover
costs as direct payments are phased out whilst getting involved
in Environmental Land Management schemes.
The roll out of the Sustainable Farming Incentive will be
accelerated, with six additional standards added this year,
meaning farmers can receive payment for actions on hedgerows,
grassland, arable and horticultural land, integrated pest
management and nutrient management. They build on the three
existing standards to improve soil health and moorlands
introduced in 2022 – which nearly 1,900 farmers already have in
agreements.
Farmers will also be paid to deliver more through an enhanced
version of the Countryside Stewardship scheme, which will see
around 30 additional actions available to farmers by the end of
2024. The expansion builds on the more than 250 actions farmers
can take at present. The scheme has seen a 94% increase in uptake
since 2020 and is now part of thousands of farm businesses. The
next round of Countryside Stewardship Higher-Tier will open in
February, with Mid-Tier following in March.
Countryside Stewardship Plus will reward farmers for taking
coordinated action, working with neighbouring farms and
landowners to support climate and nature aims. The Countryside
Stewardship scheme will also be improved so farmers benefit from
greater flexibility over when they can apply and how they manage
their agreements, with improved access for tenant farmers and
increased access to Higher Tier options and agreements.
Applications for the second round of the Landscape Recovery
scheme will open in the spring to support ambitious large-scale
nature recovery projects, focusing on net zero, protected sites
and habitat creation. We will take on up to 25 projects which
could include projects creating and enhancing woodlands,
peatland, nature reserves and protected sites such as ancient
woodlands, wetlands and salt marshes.
Taken together, the Environmental Land Management schemes will
offer something for every type of farmer. This includes tenant
farmers, with a range of actions relevant to their holding,
especially through the Sustainable Farming Incentive which has
been designed with them in mind. The schemes will make food
production more resilient and efficient over the longer term
whilst contributing towards the UK’s environmental goals on
climate adaptation, biodiversity, water quality and net zero.
Together this will safeguard the long-term prosperity of the
farming industry and protect the environment for future
generations
