The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has said it is highligjting the approach needed to ensure the Environmental Land Management schemes (ELMs) “succeed in the hills”.

NFU deputy president David Exwood recently met Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs, Daniel Zeichner, and farming and countryside director Janet Hughes in the uplands to discuss the matter.

The NFU said the meeting, which took place on member Helen Drinkall’s farm, gave the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) team the opportunity to see the realities of farming in the uplands.

They were also able to see the current barriers of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) for upland businesses, the union said.

NFU deputy president David Exwood said: “It was a great opportunity to have the minister and Defra director out on farm in Lancashire.

“They saw for themselves the vital role upland farmers play in producing food while also being stewards of some of the country’s most cherished landscapes.

“For ELMs to be a success it has got to work for all farm businesses, including those in the uplands.”

Exwood said while NFU campaigning has led to positive increases in the number of options available for upland farmers under SFI, there “still remains challenges” about how hill farming businesses will be profitable while working to the income forgone model.

“We need to give upland farmers confidence and certainty by seeing a clear strategy from Defra on its vision for the future of the uplands,” he said.

“The creation of an uplands working group is also key to ensuring upland businesses are part of the solution to Defra’s environmental ambitions.”

ELMs in the uplands

For ELMs to be a success in the uplands the NFU is calling for:

  • The minister to create an uplands working group to allow further discussions about how upland businesses are part of the solution to Defra’s environmental ambitions;
  • Defra to undertake and publish an impact assessment of the current ELMs offer and a transition for upland businesses from direct payments;
  • Clarification on ‘heavy sheep’ on the hills and how this limits upland business’s ability to apply for SFI;
  • A clear strategy from Defra on its vision for the uplands and how businesses remain viable, profitable businesses;
  • Wider SFI options available to upland farmers to be detached from destocking and shepherding actions (UPL1-3 and UPL7-10);
  • Defra to give allowances for supplementary feeding within moorland options (UPL1-3, UPL7-10);
  • Moorland stocking actions (UPL1-3) to be based on an average stocking density rather than a maximum rate.
DEFRA NFU UPLANDS