Therese said that farmers should always be ‘at the forefront of our minds when we think of the food that we eat, the animals we see and the countryside we enjoy’ when speaking in a debate on farming in the House of Commons this week. She took the opportunity to raise various issues with ministers on behalf of Suffolk farmers including the need to deregulate, skills and water challenges, highlighting the success of the Felixstowe hydrocycle. She also called on the Rural Payments Agency to be more agile and flexible in supporting farmers.
She referred to the Sustainable Farming Incentive, which rewards farmers for practices that help produce food sustainably and protects the environment - and called on DEFRA to finish the analysis that she commissioned to ensure that the government’s Environmental Land Management Scheme isn’t skewing the incentives so farmers opt out of food production.
Therese said: “Since leaving the EU, we’ve moved from a scheme that paid farmers and landowners for how much land they had to one based on supporting the environment and on providing grants to help their farms become more sustainable. In the past, half the money went to just 10% of landowners. The change opens up the opportunity for many more to get involved and crucially it does not stop farming.”
“As Secretary of State, I changed the SFI from 2024 onwards so many farmers, like pig farmers, that were previously excluded can now secure funding. I’m concerned though that out of 305 farms in Suffolk Coastal eligible for the Basic Payment Scheme only 55 have applied for the Sustainable Farming Incentive in this current year. That is why we need a County by County analysis to get a sense of whether farmers are taking up the opportunities that are there, listen and get feedback. Being alert to these issues is and making any required changes is crucial.”
Therese also raised the issue of water supply and name-checked the Felixstowe hydrocycle that she made sure featured in the government’s Plan for Water. As part of the debate, she also encouraged the Secretary of State to pursue permitted development rights for small level reservoirs.
Finally, Therese took the opportunity to, once again, thank the Education Minister for ensuring pig and sheep husbandry will now be included as an option in the new Agricultural, Land Management and Production T-Level – crucial for local farmers.