On 20 February 2024, the Prime Minister and the Environment Secretary announced the following measures to support the farming industry, which include what is the largest ever grant offer for farmers that is expected to total £427m in the coming financial year.
– Doubling the Management Payment for the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) to up to £2,000 in the first year of all agreements starting by March 2025. Existing SFI agreement holders will receive this top-up this Spring. The Government will also extend this incentive to new Countryside Stewardship (CS) mid-tier agreements from this summer. Existing CS agreement holders will be able to have an additional agreement to get access to this payment.
– Providing £116m of grants for infrastructure and equipment to support slurry management.
– Providing £91m for Animal Health and Welfare Pathway grants to support with the costs of equipment, technology and infrastructure designed to improve the health and welfare of livestock.
– Providing £70m for the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund to support farmers with the costs of eligible items to build the resilience of the sector and boost our food security.
– Providing £70m for the Farming Innovation Programme to invest in innovation, research and development that benefits farmers, growers and foresters in England.
– Providing £50m for the Improving Farming Productivity Fund for robotics and automation, and rooftop solar to build on-farm energy security.
– Providing £15m for the Adding Value Grant, part of the Farming Investment Fund, for farmers who want to expand their farm operations into processing, packing and retailing.
– Providing £15m for Water Management Grants, part of the Farming Investment Fund, for projects such as on-farm reservoirs and works to improve irrigation.
– Expanding permitted development rights to make planning rules more flexible, to allow the introduction farm shops, commercial space or outside sports venues to enable businesses to diversify.
– Offering more support, including for mental health, for grassroots charities who work in many farming communities.
– Strengthening food security by enhancing monitoring through a new food security index that will be made statutory; introducing a £15m fund for farmers or the redistribution sector working with farmers to redistribute surplus food at the farm gate which cannot currently be used commercially; and laying new regulations for the dairy sector, as a step towards greater fairness in supply chains.
If you would like more information, then please do contact us.
One of the joys of what we do is that, every now and then, a case comes along that...
Continue Reading...Following a consultation on the protection of hedgerows last year, The Management of Hedgerows (England) Regulations 2024 has been...
Continue Reading...The government’s response to the Rock Review of the agricultural tenanted sector, on which we previously reported here and...
Continue Reading...