A LONG-STANDING Malvern farmer has expressed major concerns around the future of the industry as support schemes move towards incentivising environmental improvements over food production.
While the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs says it can deliver worthwhile food production alongside its sustainability schemes, 67-year-old Falconers Farm owner Simon Micklethwait feels the two routes are contradictory.
Yorkshireman and farmer’s son, Simon, has been farming for 50 years and manages 1,000 acres of land in Malvern and Strensham through both ownership and leasing agreements.
He says moves from Defra to promote such environmental schemes, namely the new Sustainable Farming Incentive and longer running Countryside Stewardship Schemes, encourage farmers to choose between the more arduous process of producing crops for little returns or prioritise habitat restoration, rewilding and other environmental benefits in order to receive direct government agency support.
The UK currently produces roughly 60 per cent of its domestic food consumption, around 10 per cent of which is exported. Therefore, around half of food on UK plates is produced domestically.
Simon told the Standard: “I struggle to see how they can do it with this new system. It certainly isn’t beneficial as a form of creating and growing crops.”
Defra recognises ‘confidence amongst farmers is at a record low’.
They told the Standard: “This Government will restore stability and confidence in the farming sector by introducing a new deal for farmers to boost rural economic growth, strengthen food security and improve the environment.”
Support for farmers who prioritise crop production still exists, however current schemes are scheduled to end in 2027, leaving farmers with a difficult choice about changing tack to newer sustainability support.
It is a difficult choice for farmers which could ultimately leave Britain with underutilised arable land in exchange for private wildlife havens and a nation more reliant on food imports.
Production support is however not without its issues. Production support schemes incentivise the growth or production of certain crops or commodities which leads to overproduction, known in the industry as ‘milk and butter mountains’.
Simon has become a farmer partially reliant on these new sustainability schemes, however.
He understands the importance of stewarding the nation’s land but fears ageing farmers – Defra states average age of UK farmers is 59, with over a third aged 65 and above – are more inclined to move away from hands on work to more manageable land stewardship schemes.
Simon added: ” You want to ease back at that stage in your life and as more farms change practice, I feel it will be difficult to turn around.”
Alongside ageing farmers, large farmland owners who would typically lease to farmers for crop production could also be coaxed into focusing on sustainability projects, which is ultimately less expensive.
If food production support schemes are not re-administered in 2027, Simon fears becoming reliant on the market is a slippery slope for farmers.
He added: “I personally think we’d be better creating a situation where its economical to grow these crops which we’re importing.”
Malvern MP, Dame Harriett Baldwin, says Labour are unclear on their plans to support farmers and do not recognise the industry’s struggles.
