Dec 21st, 2020
4 mins
On the 11th November 2020 legislation was passed in UK law that will unleash the potential for agriculture.
The Agriculture Bill was introduced to Parliament in January, this year, and will provide a boost to the industry after years of overly bureaucratic policy being dictated by the EU. The new system will replace the Basic Payment Subsidy Scheme which pays farmers for the total amount of land farmed and was heavily skewed towards larger landowners.
The Bill will empower UK farmers and land managers and ensure they are rewarded properly with public money for ‘public goods’ – such as better air and water quality, thriving wildlife, soil health and measures to reduce flooding and tackle climate change under the Environmental Land Management Scheme. This will provide a powerful vehicle to achieve the Governments’ 25 year Environment Plan and commitment to reach net zero emission by 2050.
Environment Secretary George Eustice said, “Our landmark Agriculture Act will transform the way we support farmers.”
He also added that, “The government will now be able to further champion food production by improving the transparency and fairness in the supply chain from farm to fork, as well as keeping our world-famous food producers competitive and innovative by investing in the latest technology and research. The government will also report on UK food security to Parliament every three years. The first report will be published at the end of next year, and will include analysis of the impacts on food supply of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as a wide range of themes including global availability of food, food safety and consumer confidence.”
Farmers will have a 7 year transition period, starting in 2021, to adapt to the new agricultural system. Direct Payments will be phased out starting with the 2021 Basic Payment Scheme year and run until end of 2027. This will allow farmers and land managers the time they need to adapt to the new system.
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