CLA responds to Government cutting red tape for farmers

The Government has announced that it plans to cut red tape for farmers ahead of next year.

Following this news, Mark Bridgeman, CLA President, said:

“Plans to reduce administrative burdens on the remaining Basic Payment Scheme is encouraging news for farmers. For too long we have had to accept well-intentioned but impractical requirements that have not delivered for the environment.

“The move to a system of payments for public goods is an opportunity to change the relationship between farmers and government. It must provide real environmental delivery that works with our varied farming systems. The flagship Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme in England has the potential to become a world-leading land management policy.

“However, the new ELM programme is only one part of future agriculture policy and will not be available until 2024. Reducing direct payments, even if administration is also reduced, will still have an impact on farming businesses if the profile of cuts is too steep before ELM is widely available.”