Seasonal worker visas guaranteed until 2030, a stronger role for co-operatives and extending fair dealing regs to fresh produce are among government plans for farming
The UK has its first long-term farming roadmap
Guarantees for seasonal worker visas until 2030, new funding for agri innovation and a stronger role for co-ops are all part of a landmark Farming Roadmap, published by the government today (24 June).
The roadmap, which is the first time the UK has a plan for farming that extends beyond the next harvest to 2050, sets out how the government plans to make English farming more profitable, sustainable and resilient.
It outlines plans including:
- An additional £53 million for the Farming Innovation Programme, which brings the total earmarked for farming innovation this year to £123 million, including dedicated funding focused on robotics, soil health and water management.
- Collaborative models such as co-operatives to play a much larger role, enabling collective purchasing and joint investment.
- Seasonal worker visas will continue until at least 2030. No further detail released to confirm the number of visas to be made available.
- Extending supply chain fair dealing regulations to fresh produce and egg producers.
- A review of how the economic value of agriculture is measured, with plans to go beyond a single figure of 0.6% of Gross Value Added. The Office for National Statistics will develop new statistics to include the wider food supply chain, from processing and manufacturing to distribution and retail.
- Considering changes to the National Planning Policy Framework following recent consultation, including proposals to make the system more supportive of the infrastructure farmers need.
- Multiple government services will, over time, be replaced with a single digital farming account to reduce administrative burdens, alongside improved data quality to enable access to private markets.
“Our roadmap marks a shift away from only looking to the next harvest and towards a plan that gives farmers the long-term clarity they need to innovate, invest and grow with confidence for generations to come,” said environment secretary, Emma Reynolds.
“I have spent every day in this role rebuilding our relationship with farmers brick by brick because they’re such an important part of our economy, our society and our environment.
“We are looking at how farming is valued economically and socially to ensure it receives the recognition it deserves,” she said.
The NFU welcomed the plan’s focus on resilience, profitability and productivity, but warned there is little detail about how it will be delivered.
“The roadmap sets out a welcome multi-year direction for farming, yet there is no long-term funding to go with it,” said NFU president, Tom Bradshaw.
“Intent alone won’t deliver a secure and affordable supply of homegrown food for the nation, nor care for 70 per cent of England’s landscape.
“The Treasury is conspicuously absent in this plan. There has to be a greater partnership between Defra, the Treasury, MHCLG (Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government) and farmers if we’re to realise this vision for farming,” he said.
Speaking in a week of record temperatures, Bradshaw called for a review of water abstraction licensing rules, investment in on-farm water storage, reformed planning rules to make building reservoirs easier. “These are all things the government could do right now to help boost productivity growth,” he said.
Soil Association policy director, Brendan Costelloe, said: “The biggest challenge facing our farmers is climate change. The government’s new Farming Roadmap rightly recognises that soils are the best defence for farmers who will increasingly face extreme weather over the coming decades.
“With healthier soils on organic farms, agroecological farming that doesn’t rely on synthetic inputs is the obvious solution for climate resilience and food security. We hope the government will now follow up with an Organic Action Plan for England that increases organic land to 10 per cent.”
“A Farming Roadmap can only be effective if it drives us away from business as usual for our farming system. For too long that has been characterised by high chemical use, high environmental harm, and high volatility in production costs and food prices.”
