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As new agriculture policy takes shape in England, Defra has announced plans for a lump sum exit scheme. It is hoped that the plan will encourage a new generation of farmers by easing the transition in and out of farming. At the Oxford Farming Conference earlier this year, Environment Secretary George Eustice said some veteran farmers were "standing in the way of change" and that “the burden of expectation that can exist to loyally continue the family tradition (of farming) and how this sometimes stands in the way of change." Nearly four in 10 UK farmers are over the age of 65, with an average age of 59.
Defra has launched a consultation on the issue, but we would love to hear your views before we respond. To do so, please complete this short survey before Friday 6 August.
As part of the transition to the new agriculture policy in England, Defra plan to offer farmers who wish to exit the industry the option of taking a lump sum payment in place of any further Direct Payments from 2022 and, two years later, ‘delink’ Direct Payments from the land for all farmers. This means that recipients will no longer have to farm the land to receive the payments.
Launching the consultation, Mr Eustice said “Those who yearn to go farming but cannot afford to enter the industry nor get access to land. Those who left the family farm as teenagers and saw their parents sell their land only to discover that in later life they would like to return to the countryside they miss, to do something that is fulfilling and has meaning, and for their children to have the childhood they had. The amount of land we have is fixed. It is only by assisting people to exit the industry with dignity that we can help others fulfil their dream, and people at either end of this spectrum will ultimately be happier if more people manage to confront difficult decisions.”
Complete the survey here.