바카라 사이트 to pay more to farmers who protect and enhance the environment
Farming Minister Mark Spencer delivers a speech at the 2023 Oxford Farming Conference
Hello everyone, and happy new year. It바카라 사이트™s great to be back at the Oxford Farming Conference.
It바카라 사이트™s good to see many old friends. I바카라 사이트™m a farmer before I became a politician. My background is in dairy farming. The family farm up in Nottinghamshire is now mostly a diversified business primarily focused on farm retail with some beef and lamb, potatoes and arable.
Four generations of my family have lived in the rural constituency that I am proud to represent, in Sherwood, so, I바카라 사이트™ve seen first-hand how the challenges we바카라 사이트™ve faced in recent years have reminded people up and down the country just how much we all rely on you as farmers.
Keeping us fed through thick and thin, playing a vital role in our rural communities and our rural economy and taking care of our landscapes, as farmers have been doing for generations.
I hope you have a sense of the respect that the British people have for all of you and what you do 바카라 사이트“ and our gratitude as well.
When I first joined the Nottinghamshire Young Farmer바카라 사이트™s Club as a young boy, I would never have imagined that I would be up on stage speaking to the Oxford farming conference.
The last time I spoke here was in the year 2000 바카라 사이트“ as chair of the Young Farmers, some of you might even remember that. And it바카라 사이트™s great to join you now.
I바카라 사이트™m planning to be around for most of the day so it will be good to catch up with some of you - and I welcome the theme that you바카라 사이트™ve chosen for the conference.
Because all the evidence we have, as well as plain common sense, tells us that making the shift towards a more sustainable, resilient food system is critical to feeding a growing population, to meeting our world-leading commitments to halt the decline of nature by 2030 and reach net zero, and fundamentally improving the lives of people across our country and around the world, so we make sure every generation has a better future as well.
So in other words, we바카라 사이트™ve got to keep everyone fed and save the planet. And those things are two sides of the same coin in my book, so we need to recognise the vital importance of the solutions that farmers bring to the table, and we must work together as land managers, farmers and the government.
It바카라 사이트™s as complicated and as simple as that. And, while farming has always been part of my life, I am new to being the Farming Minister so, I appreciate your engagement, your counsel, and your challenge as we crack on and I look forward to working with you hand in hand.
And here바카라 사이트™s how I see it. I want us to be free of the damaging legacy of the bureaucratic Common Agricultural Policy for good, learn from the past and focus on helping you build and maintain profitable, resilient businesses that produces the food we need and enhances the natural environment at the same time.
I know that you are feeling the impact of a whole host of pressures at the moment, pressures in the supply chain, avian influenza, and other pests and diseases that threaten farm businesses and food production. Labour supply is also a challenge, and economic volatility we are feeling following Putin바카라 사이트™s invasion of the Ukraine.
That바카라 사이트™s why we바카라 사이트™re putting in place a range of measures to help. We바카라 사이트™re meeting retailers and processers regularly to encourage them to recognise that the burden of those costs is falling heavily on farmers and make sure that it바카라 사이트™s shared more fairly, across the supply chain.
We바카라 사이트™ve brought forward BPS payments to twice a year, for the first time ever, we바카라 사이트™ve started making payments in our new Sustainable Farming Incentive on a quarterly basis instead of annually 바카라 사이트“ and we plan to extend this approach to all our schemes as soon as we can, making the most of our ability to be more flexible now we바카라 사이트™re doing things on our own terms so we support your cashflow, rather than adding to your challenges.
I바카라 사이트™ve been working with colleagues to make sure farmers benefit from a range of measures from across the whole government: increasing the Employment Allowance, cutting fuel duty, taking action on business rates, and this month, through the Energy Relief Scheme you can apply for extra help if your household does not have a direct relationship to a domestic energy supplier.
I am well aware of the importance of seasonal labour to the sector and to our national food security. In my time in post, I have championed the seasonal workers scheme across 바카라 사이트.
Just before Christmas, we made an initial 45,000 visas available for seasonal workers to travel to the UK for up to six months 바카라 사이트“ that바카라 사이트™s 15,000 more than this time last year, with the possibility of an extra 10,000 more, if we can show that they바카라 사이트™re required and needed.
This is a big statement of the value this 바카라 사이트 sees in the farming sector. Looking forward we need a more structured way of providing the industry with the labour it needs.
That is why we commissioned an independent review into labour shortages in the food supply chain. The review will report later this year and I look forward to ensuring the sector has the labour it needs to thrive.
And as the Secretary of State has acknowledged recently, we know that recent uncertainty about the 바카라 사이트바카라 사이트™s intentions for the future hasn바카라 사이트™t helped.
I was pleased to hear her address that in her speech in December. And now, I want you to hear it from me as well. The review of farming policy was undertaken in good faith.
We바카라 사이트™ve now concluded that review, and we바카라 사이트™re going to be cracking on with our planned reforms. We remain as ambitious as ever 바카라 사이트“ for the quality of our services and the huge positive impacts you can make, with the right support 바카라 사이트“ by providing food for our country and improving our natural environment.
And we are committed to making sure our schemes and services work for all of you.
So, we will continue to work with you to make sure you have the clarity and certainty you need to plan ahead for your businesses as we move ahead through our transition, towards a much better way of doing things so we help the environment by backing the frontrunners, helping everyone to bring up their baseline and improve it year on year; and tackling the polluters who stubbornly continue to refuse our help, and threaten to undermine everyone else바카라 사이트™s hard work on the way so we can focus on helping all of you to take your businesses into the future.
This month we바카라 사이트™ll be publishing detailed information about what we will pay for in our schemes and how you can get involved - this year and beyond.
And of course, the level of funding available to farmers remains unchanged - just as we committed in our manifesto.
As we make planned, steady, fair reductions to BPS payments, all the funding from reductions in BPS is being made available to farmers though a combination of one-off grants and ongoing schemes as we pay you to take action through our environmental land management schemes, making sure they work for everyone from commoners to small family farms to our uplands as well.
And that includes helping landowners and tenant farmers work together in as effective partners, drawing on the insights of Baroness Rock바카라 사이트™s Review.
Everyone has a role to play. And 바카라 사이트“ this is important 바카라 사이트“ we want it to be simple and straightforward for you to succeed. So, I urge you to get involved with the initial phase of the Sustainable Farming Incentive 바카라 사이트“ or SFI. We kicked off the scheme in the summer, starting with soil health.
There바카라 사이트™s no application window. Farmers have told us they they바카라 사이트™ve applied in 20 minutes flat, as straightforward as ordering something from an online shop.
You바카라 사이트™ll get your agreement within 2 weeks 바카라 사이트“ often much quicker. Start your agreement the next month and you should start getting paid 3 months later.
We바카라 사이트™ve made the scheme more accessible to tenant farmers by offering 3-year agreements instead of 5-years, and allowing tenants on shorter contracts to enter into the scheme, without the need for landlord consent.
We바카라 사이트™ve made the scheme less prescriptive, giving farmers the flexibility to work out how best to achieve the outcomes we바카라 사이트™re looking for, on your land.
There are no penalties in SFI, and our inspections are now 바카라 사이트˜visits바카라 사이트™ where we are fair, pragmatic and helpful 바카라 사이트“ rather than looking for reasons to fine you, we are very much there to help and support you.
And today, I바카라 사이트™m announcing a new payment of £20 a hectare for the first 50 hectares 바카라 사이트“ to cover the costs of taking part in SFI, that바카라 사이트™s up to £1,000 바카라 사이트“ in addition to the payments you바카라 사이트™ll receive for the work you to do improve your farm and the environment.
This will be available to everyone joining from the start of our 2023 offer and applied to everyone who is already changing how they manage their land. So early adopters feel the same benefits, smallest farms feel the biggest difference, SFI is accessible and we stay on track.
This is a new, additional payment that is designed to support the costs that come with applying for a new offer over the next two years. We will keep it under review between now and 2024, along with all the other aspects of the scheme, to make sure it works farmers, provides value for money and is delivering the outcomes we need.
Each year, we바카라 사이트™ll add more standards to SFI so you can choose more options for your business, including six new standards in 2023 바카라 사이트“ that바카라 사이트™s everything we said we바카라 사이트™d do, and more.
So, if you바카라 사이트™ve been considering joining the scheme, in 2023, this is the year to do it 바카라 사이트“ and I encourage you to take a look.
And we바카라 사이트™ll be publishing details of those standards and payment rates in the next few weeks, alongside further details of the additional action we바카라 사이트™ll be backing across SFI and Countryside Stewardship as we expand the scope of both schemes in 2023 and 2024 so you can decide what is right for you and plan in terms of the months and years ahead.
With over 30,000 agreements in our improved Countryside Stewardship scheme 바카라 사이트“ that바카라 사이트™s a 94 per cent increase, over the last three years - we바카라 사이트™re sticking with it, rather than reinventing the wheel.
We바카라 사이트™ll achieve the same ambitious service improvements and outcomes, but we바카라 사이트™ll get there in a smoother, faster and better way that gives you much more clarity and certainty.
And we know that your costs are rising. So today, I바카라 사이트™m pleased to announce, as of today that we have updated our payment rates for Countryside Stewardship for ongoing activities, and for one-off grants for new agreements.
Those new rates will apply to everyone in the scheme 바카라 사이트“ and they are already live. And the median increase to the value of a CS agreement will be about 10%.
So we바카라 사이트™ve published the full list of prices on 바카라 사이트 today 바카라 사이트“ and we바카라 사이트™ll write to all agreement holders to let them know what it means for them.
I think it바카라 사이트™s a good offer and it makes the best use of our available budget and new flexibilities as we phase out direct payments. So take a look at the details online, and make this part of your business plan.
We will continue to work with you to develop Countryside Stewardship Plus so we evolve the scheme to include a wider range of options and much better service. Better ways for us to target investment to the right places and support farmers and land managers to work together across entire landscapes.
That바카라 사이트™s the right approach, as we develop the markets that will allow us to draw finance from all sources into the sector and with the first 22 Landscape Recovery projects up and running. We바카라 사이트™re testing that at scale, with the next round focussing on what we can do when we think big.
Of course, these schemes are just part of the work we바카라 사이트™re doing to secure the future of farming, whether that바카라 사이트™s keeping our country at the forefront of precision breeding techniques that are set to have a hugely positive impact on global food security; improving our retention; developing skills and attracting new entrants; tackling more of the things that cause us headaches and sleepless nights, like the way we regulate the traceability of livestock, and the need for better broadband in rural areas; or getting you the support and tools you need to improve productivity, health, and welfare on your farms.
So everyone receiving BPS is now eligible for free business advice through the Resilience Fund.
Further rounds of grants through the Farming Investment Fund will be coming up early in 2023 helping you make investments in your business in equipment, technology and infrastructure.
More visits from vets have started and will be available more widely in the coming weeks, with new animal health and welfare grants to follow in the spring for all sectors and with specific support for improving house infrastructure.
There바카라 사이트™s much more to come as part of our ongoing commitment to getting cutting edge-kit out of labs and on to farms as well, building on the hundreds of projects that are already underway, and the thousands of grants we바카라 사이트™ve already made.
I look forward to seeing the project proposals in to our £12.5 million automation and robotics competition when it opens on Monday.
And I바카라 사이트™m pleased to announce that we바카라 사이트™re raising our capital payment rates for tree planting as well for the England Woodland Creation Offer and our Tree Health Pilot, alongside increasing annual payment rates for maintenance.
This gives you more options for how your business can help us meet our national commitments to halt the decline of nature by 2030, to reach net zero by 2050, and to make sure we바카라 사이트™re using every tool in our kit to reduce the impact of flooding on our communities as well as for our neighbours.
So, I urge you to think about whether planting trees around your farm could be part of your plan for the future of your farming businesses.
We also need to look forward. Ensuring our farming sector is at the cutting edge of technology, and we are grasping the opportunities of leaving the EU and bringing new technologies into the sector.
Our Farming Innovation Programme already has over 150 projects underway and we will be investing £270 million in research and innovation that will boost productivity and enhance the environment.
And the Gene Technology Bill currently going through Parliament will allow us to remove unnecessary barriers to research into new gene editing technology so we can develop new traits more precisely and more efficiently than traditional breeding techniques.
The potential benefits are huge: resistance to drought, pests and disease, lower costs, more nutritious food and lower environmental impact will of course be some of the benefits we hope to achieve.
Without a doubt, bringing all of this together is a daunting undertaking.
So, I want to thank you 바카라 사이트“ thousands of you 바카라 사이트“ who바카라 사이트™ve been working with us over many years now. And I encourage everyone to get involved.
I바카라 사이트™m the first to admit that I still have a lot to learn. Any day on the farm working alongside my kids, it takes about five minutes for them to remind that I don바카라 사이트™t know everything.
But like so many young farmers I바카라 사이트™m lucky to meet, their passion, commitment, and brilliant ideas give me hope that we can do it. We can achieve it.
And when I think of the difference we can make to the lives of people now, for our children and their children, for generations to come across our country, and around the world, if we work together to get this done and get this right, by putting our businesses on a footing for the future I am determined that we will see this through.
That is my commitment to you 바카라 사이트“ I look forward to taking your questions and talking to lots of you throughout the day and all the best for the rest of the conference
Thank you.