Funding

A funding package of more than £168m to boost farming productivity has been unveiled by the Government.

Following the launch of Defra’s Annual Health and Welfare Review last week, Katie Fallon looks at how farmers can get involved.

Jon Davies, director of RSK Wilding, explains why we should ignore any polarising rhetoric around farming and wildlife and get on with creating an agricultural landscape that is sustainable, biodiverse and productive.

Farming Minister Mark Spencer has batted away concerns that the increased Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme payments announced this morning (January 5) are ‘too little, too late’.

Farmers are being urged to look again at the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and Countryside Stewardship (CS) after Defra boosted payment rates under both schemes.

Farming support schemes are set to be disrupted this month after more than 400 staff at the Rural Payments Agency voted to strike.

On-farm renewable energy projects are being severely hampered by an inability to secure grid connections and planning permission.

Farming support was protected in headline terms in the Scottish Budget presented by Finance Secretary John Swinney last week.

Welsh farm groups have welcomed the news that direct payments to farmers in 2023 will remain the same as they have over the past three years.

Leader of the Liberal Democrat Party Sir Ed Davey has called on the Government to appoint a cross-departmental minister to address the needs of rural communities.