Government commits to address low confidence and provide stability for the farming sector as figures show confidence remains poor.
The government has pledged to introduce a new deal for farmers aimed at addressing the ongoing low confidence and providing much-needed stability to the farming sector, according to a press release from the UK Government.
Recent figures from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs reveal that confidence among farmers remains alarmingly low. The data shows that half of the farmers surveyed do not feel optimistic about the future of their profession. Among those considering changes, a quarter plan to downsize their operations, and 14% intend to exit farming altogether within the next 3-5 years.
These findings underscore the urgent need to end the instability caused by the frequent changes to farming schemes. There is a pressing need to optimize Environmental Land Management schemes so they benefit all farmers, particularly those often overlooked, such as small, grassland, upland, and tenanted farms. The new government must take decisive action to restore stability and confidence in the sector.
These results reflect a broader negative trend that has persisted in recent years. This is a complex issue, with multiple factors contributing to farmers’ struggles, including extreme weather events like flooding, steep increases in energy costs, and the impact of unfavorable trade deals.
The release notes that 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.
“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,” Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed said. ”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 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
