Environment Secretary, George Eustice, confirmed an even-split of funding between the future farming schemes from 2028.
The government’s new Sustainable Farming Incentive, Local Nature Recovery and Landscape Recovery Schemes, will provide the main delivery mechanism for projects that mitigate the impacts of climate change and support both nature recovery and sustainable farm businesses.
The Environment Secretary also stated that farmers are increasingly charting a new course, with farming methods that seek to improve and enhance the environment.
He reaffirmed his commitment to regenerative farming in developing future farming policy, with the aim that 70% of farms will take part in environmental land management schemes by 2028.
Eustice also said that “unlike the old EU pillar structure, where a budget was trapped in one pillar and could not be transferred, these future schemes will complement one another and work to the best interest of farmers”.
The Environment Secretary said that regenerative techniques will be further encouraged by the government’s new agri-environmental schemes.
Examples of these techniques include:
- Topsoil regeneration and the use of winter cover crops – fast-growing plants such as Phacelia, Buckwheat, Fodder Radish, Crimson Clover or Rye – which are established very soon after harvest and create a green, living cover for the soil. These techniques reduce soil erosion risks and prevent nutrients from being washed out of the soil, helping to retain living roots and improve soil microbiology;
- Integrated pest management – for example, growing flower-rich areas alongside or within arable crops to attract predators for pests;
- Mixed agriculture – cultivating crops alongside rearing livestock to fertilise the soil.
During his speech at the Groundswell Agriculture Show, the Environment Secretary, George Eustice, said:
“Everyone recognises that we need to change our approach to tackle the environmental challenges both on climate change, but also on biodiversity.
Leaving the European Union gives us a great opportunity to show the world how we can do this, through a seven year transition to reorder farming incentives so that we support a regenerative agriculture.
“That is precisely what we want our future policy to do.”
