PRESS RELEASE : Government to restore stability for farmers as confidence amongst sector low [August 2024]

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 1 August 2024.

Government commits to address low confidence and provide stability for the farming sector as figures show confidence remains poor.

The government has announced its commitment to introduce a new deal for farmers to address low confidence and provide stability for the farming sector.

Figures released by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, show confidence remains poor.  The data indicates that half of farmers don’t feel positive about their future in farming.  Of those farmers saying they are making changes, a quarter of plan to reduce the size of their businesses and 14% plan to leave farming in the next 3-5 years.

The results make clear the need for the end of farmers being rocked by the chop and change of farming schemes, optimising Environmental Land Management schemes so they work for all farmers including those who have been too often ignored such as small, grassland, upland and tenanted farms, and action by the new government to restore stability and confidence in the sector.

They follow the negative trend seen across the past few years. This is a complex problem, with several factors contributing to this persistent trend. Farmers have been struggling with extreme weather events like flooding and sudden huge rises in energy costs and been undermined by damaging trade deals.

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.

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 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