Countryside Stewardship prolonged to help farming and nature

Farmers will proceed to be rewarded for his or her important function in sustainable meals manufacturing and nature’s restoration with the supply of one-year extensions to their Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier agreements, Farming Minister Dame Angela Eagle confirmed in the present day (Wednesday 15 October). 

Countryside Stewardship offers farmers and land managers the chance to be paid for environmental work – akin to planting wildflower margins that enhance pollinators and managing hedgerows to create important habitats for birds and small mammals – alongside sustainable meals manufacturing.

With agreements set to run out on 31 December this 12 months, the focused, time-limited extension is being supplied to make sure farmers have the help they should proceed their important actions to revive nature and produce meals sustainably. This is a part of our plan to present farmers long run strategic certainty.    

The one-off funding of as much as £70m helps greater than 5,000 farmers and displays our dedication to working with the sector to construct a stronger, extra worthwhile farming future. There are at the moment greater than 77,000 dwell agri-environment agreements – the best quantity in historical past – and half (4.3m hectares) of farmed land in England is actively managed in these schemes.   

Funding for farmers by way of the Environmental Land Management schemes, which embody the Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier scheme, will improve by 150% to £2 billion by 2029, serving to to spice up rural economies, strengthen home meals manufacturing and improve the UK’s pure surroundings for future generations.

Farming Minister Dame Angela Eagle stated:

We’re backing farmers with the most important funding in nature-friendly farming in historical past, underpinning our forged iron dedication to meals safety. 

This focused extension to Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier agreements ensures farmers have the knowledge and help they should proceed to develop their companies, get extra British meals on our plates, and assist restore nature.

Plans for the Sustainable Farming Incentive are at the moment being reviewed to make sure the accessible funding for that scheme is distributed extra effectively and extra pretty. The authorities will publish info on the following iteration of the scheme in the end. 

Investing in nature by way of the federal government’s Plan for Change is central to securing Britain’s future financial progress, growing a sustainable, resilient and worthwhile farming sector, and guaranteeing long-term meals safety. 

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) will write to eligible farmers with particulars about their extension supply. The letter will comprise particulars of how they settle for their extension and the deadline they should meet for it to be processed.