Farmers are expressing concerns as thousands of Countryside Stewardship (CS) agreements are set to end in December. A recent Freedom of Information request by the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) revealed that 5,830 of these agreements, which offer financial incentives for environmentally friendly practices such as insecticide-free farming and creating wildflower strips, will cease.
Gloucestershire farmer David Barton noted that this development felt unexpected and stated the government should provide clearer direction. The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has indicated that it is collaborating with farmers to create a more sustainable farming system with a focus on food production in the current challenging climate.
Many CS schemes are being phased out as part of the transition to new environmental land management initiatives, such as the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI). However, earlier this year, the government halted applications for the SFI due to budget constraints, leading to further anxiety among farmers like Barton, who has been preparing to adapt his CS scheme to the new system by January.
Barton emphasized that it is unprecedented for one program to end before another is fully operational. He raised concerns that without support, environmental projects could deteriorate, potentially causing significant ecological harm. Similarly, Warwickshire farmer Mark Meadows will also see his own scheme conclude on December 31, compounding the challenges faced this year with low yields and falling prices.
The NFU has called on Defra to extend existing CS agreements for one year while a long-term strategy is under development. NFU deputy president David Exwood communicated these concerns in a letter to farming minister Daniel Zeichner, urging for a prompt and clear plan for the future of farmers in relation to environmental land management. In response, Defra acknowledged the situation and affirmed its commitment to investing in sustainable farming practices.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g9q7y8gj3o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss