RUMOURS that surfaced this week over the watering-down or scrapping of farm payments that rewards landowners for their environmental work has stoked anger amongst the Cumbrian farming community.
Furious farmers are demanding answers after agricultural groups were briefed this week on the outcome of the government’s review on the outcome of ELMs, known as the Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme, first established by former Defra Secretary Ranil Jayawardena under Liz Truss’ leadership.
Armathwaite farmer, Julia Aglionby, who works for uplands farmers, has gone public about the ‘chaos of Defra and ELM’.
Dr Aglionby, who is executive director of the Foundation for Common Land, in a statement to The Cumberland News said: “It is a disgrace that six years after the referendum that Defra’s dither and delay is endangering our economy and our planet.
"The mantra public money for public goods requires this Government to commit a sufficient budget and a clear mechanism through ELM to deliver the outcomes we all deserve.”
She added: "If farmers cannot forward plan there is both a risk to the viability of their businesses and also no mechanism to adapt to reduce carbon emissions or improve outcomes for nature.
"I totally disagree with Minister Mark Spencer’s view expressed to the Efra Select Committee (a cross-party group of MPs) this week that Defra is providing a smooth transition for farmers. This is simply not the case.”
Viv Lewis, administrator for the Federation of Cumbria Commoners, backed Ms Aglionby’s comments, and said: “Six years after Brexit and countless promises from Defra, farmers are still no clearer about their future.
“Our businesses are already weakened by spiralling input and energy costs, and this news, if correct, will be a further body blow for fell farmers and farmers in general. A moratorium on further cuts to BPS is now an absolute necessity to help us face an uncertain future.”
ELMs is designed to replace the EU’s common agricultural policy (CAP).
ELMs was the biggest shake-up of farm policy in England for 40 years, introduced after Brexit to replace the EU’s CAP payouts.
ELMS is made up of three payment schemes - the sustainable farming incentive, local nature recovery and landscape recovery.
Under the system, farmers could be paid subsidies based on a range of environmental work, from improving water and soil health and creating wildlife habitats to rewilding whole landscapes.
But those with smaller farms had voiced concerns that the new nature-friendly system would not offer them enough to stay in business.
It is understood from sources that the first ELM component, the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), is due to stay in place, though a series of planned standards on nutrient management, hedgerows and integrated pest management will now either be scrapped or delivered elsewhere.
The second ELM component, Local Nature Recovery, will be shelved altogether and replaced with ‘Countryside Stewardship’, under which additional options will be offered to farmers.
What will happen to payment rates under all three schemes is not expected to be announced until the new year.
But Ms Aglionby continued: “The Foundation for Common Land considers it unacceptable that six years after the referendum there remains so little clarity on the detail of ELM.
"Common land deliver more for the public than other types of land land but we cannot expect public goods to be delivered for free.
"Commoners who manage the grazing on commons are particularly dependent on the current schemes which are being phased out with still no detail on the replacement.
“We do not care what the scheme is called and it makes sense to build on the scheme architecture of Countryside Stewardship.
"Our concern is that farmers cannot plan the future of their businesses without the detail. I was in the Defra Stakeholder meeting this week and it is clear details of scheme requirements and payment rates will not be available until 2023.”
'It is a hard fact to face up to'
Farmers Nic and Paul Renison from Cannerheugh Farm at Renick, overlooking the Eden Valley, are among hundreds of farmers demanding clarity from the government on the proposed rollback of environmental reforms in British farming.
The couple said: “But the announcement has once again been postponed, and many in the farming community fear that the delay is down to Defra knowing there will be a negative reaction and hoping to bury the story. Which is reasonable politics, but unfair on farmers who need a clear idea of what their futures hold.”
Farmers like Nic and Paul need the government to incentivise opportunities for diversifying production, allowing them to continue innovative grass management practices which not only optimises the level of their stock, but their quality too.
“Ultimately, farmers are looking to the government to help them run businesses better, work with nature and the climate, and bring people together,” said the couple.
Cumbrian sheep farmer and National Farmers Union (NFU) Cumbrian Council Delegate, Alistair Mackintosh, argued that there would never be enough money in ELMs to keep farmers in business.
He said: “It is a hard fact to face up to. Looking to the future ELMs is not going to help farmers produce food under the cost of production.
“I think it would be too hasty to tear up ELMS, but the sustainable farming incentive (SFI) needs more detail and needs to be profitable,” added Mr Mackintosh, who is also vice chair of Red Tractor, the UK’s largest food assurance scheme.
Chief executive of the Tenant Farmers Association George Dunn, said: “There will be no escape from the economic headwinds coming our way, but farmers and growers must not be left bearing the brunt of this by retailers and food service providers seeking to hold consumer prices, while protecting their own profit margins by forcing farmers and growers to accept prices below costs of production.”
Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Penrith and The Border and Member of the EFRA Committee, said that the cross party of MPs would continue their inquiry into the ELMS rollout. “Representing a rural constituency in Cumbria with a huge farming sector, it is vital to me and my constituents that this new Government scheme works well for our farmers who do so much to produce food for us all whilst looking after our environment.
"Our Committee will look to make recommendations to Government to help improve these schemes.”
Defra has denied it was scrapping ELMS, but did admit it was looking at ‘where and how improvements can be made’.
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