Government announces raft of new farming policies

New reforms to make farming more profitable will be announced today (25 February) by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Steve Reed.

Speaking to farmers at the NFU conference in Westminster, Steve Reed will reveal new plans to deliver a profitable farming sector, while reaffirming Government’s cast iron commitment to food production, and unlocking rural growth.

The speech will announce a raft of new policies to put money into the pockets of British farmers including:

• Extending the Seasonal Worker visa route for five more years giving farms a pipeline of workers and certainty to grow their businesses. Annual quota reviews will ensure the right balance is struck – supporting farms while gradually reducing visa numbers as we develop alternative solutions.
• Back British produce: British farmers handed a major boost under new requirements for government catering contracts to favour high-quality, high-welfare products that local farms and producers are well placed to serve. The move marks a major leap in achieving the government’s ambition for at least 50 per cent of food supplied into the £5 billion public sector catering contracts to be from British producers or those certified to higher environmental standards.
• £110 million investment in technology: The Farming Innovation Programme which supports research and development of agri-technology for farmers, for example the chemical free cleaning for integrated milking equipment, which lowers energy costs and chemical use. The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund provides grants of up to £25,000 to buy new equipment such as electric weeders to reduce chemical use.
• Protecting farmers in trade deals: The government will uphold and protect high environmental and animal welfare standards in future trade deals.
• Strengthening Britain’s biosecurity: Setting up a new National Biosecurity Centre to transform the Animal and Plant Health Agency animal health facility at Weybridge, investing £200 million to improve resilience against animal disease to protect farmers and food producers.

Speaking about profitability, Reed is expected to say: “The underlying problem is that farmers do not make enough money for the hard work and commitment they put in. I will consider my time as Secretary of State a failure if I do not improve profitability for farmers across the country.

“My focus is on ensuring farming becomes more profitable because that’s how we make your businesses viable for the future. And that’s how we ensure the long-term food security this country needs.”

This builds on commitments made at the Oxford Farming Conference, where the Defra secretary set out the government’s vision for farming including:

• Using planning reforms to support food production: Ensuring reforms make it quicker for farmers to build the buildings, barns and other infrastructure they need on their farms to boost food production.
• Diversifying income streams: Helping farmers make additional money from selling surplus energy from solar panels and wind turbines by accelerating connections to the grid, supporting them during difficult harvests and supply shocks.
• A fair supply chain: Boosting profitability through fair competition across the supply chain. New rules for the pig sector will come this spring, ensuring contracts clearly set out expectations and changes can only be made if agreed by all parties. Similar regulations for eggs and fresh produce sectors will follow with the government ready to intervene with other sectors if needed.