Beginning next year, when the first phase of the government’s new support payment begins, farmers will be paid for the first time for taking care of the soil in England.
Environmental groups criticized these measures for being insignificant and accused the ministers of failing to fulfill their promises to use Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union to strengthen environmental protection and reduce The devastating effects of agriculture.
In England, farmers will receive a fee of 20 to 58 pounds per hectare for basic measures to protect and cultivate the soil. Almost all farmers are eligible to apply for this payment, including arable land used for crop planting, grasslands, marshes and other soil.
By the end of 2024, this sum and other funds for further protection measures in the future will reach 900 million pounds per year to fulfill the government’s commitment Eliminate old taxpayer subsidies The amount of arable land under the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and replaced them with payment of “public funds for public goods”.
Soil protection has been selected as the first such payment afterwards The government has repeatedly promised Prioritize British soil, which is a Important carbon storageIn any case, farmers will be required to take some measures in exchange for payment, which is routine for many farmers, such as planting cover crops on bare soil in winter. Bare soil is susceptible to erosion and runoff, so ensuring that the farmland is covered with crops that can return nutrients to the soil is the key to its preservation.
Environment Minister George Eustice will announce these measures at the Rural Land and Business Association (CLA) Rural Business Conference in London on Thursday.
CLA Chairman Mark Tufnell, representing 28,000 farmers and rural businesses, said: “British soil contains 10 billion tons of carbon. Without better soil management, there is no path to net zero… [These payments] It was a good start and showed a clear intention to support and reward farmers for providing environmental services. “
But the leaders of the three largest green and conservation organizations in the UK: wild animals The Trusts, RSPB and National Trust jointly accused the government of not taking the urgent need for nature-friendly agriculture seriously. They pointed out that the number of local wild animals has fallen sharply in the past three decades, and said that the government’s plan is almost useless to remedy the problem.
Hilary McGrady, Director-General of the National Trust, said: “Almost four years have passed since the government formulated its vision for the future of food, agriculture, and the environment… But just like today’s announcement, wildlife and climate The future of China now looks uncertain and did not meet the promised ambitious reforms. Farmers need a clear path to the future, which is naturally the core of sustainable and safe food production, rather than a temporary shift caused by this new plan.”
Craig Bennett, CEO of Wildlife Trusts, added: “Farmers can do many things to reap the rewards, such as restoring peatlands and taking ambitious measures to prevent soil and pollutants from flowing into rivers— —Helping wildlife and storing carbon. The government’s failure to seize this unique and important opportunity to improve agriculture is definitely a scandal.”
According to the old CAP, farmers received between 2 billion and 3 billion pounds a year. After Brexit, the subsidy was initially maintained at 2.4 billion pounds per year, but will be reduced to 900 million pounds by the end of this session of Parliament.By 2027, the basic payment allocated according to the amount of arable land will be completely cancelled, but at the same time, the farmers who received the most under the old plan Facing the steepest cut – 25% of the old subsidy – and small farmers’ basic payments next year will be reduced by 5%.
This transition will eventually result in farmers signing environmental land management contracts, promising them to take measures to protect air and water quality and provide habitat for wildlife in exchange for payments that have not yet been specified. During this period, the sustainable finance plan (the soil plan is the first part of it) will provide payment for basic environmental measures.
Due to the impact of the Covid pandemic and Brexit, farmers are facing an uncertain future, which leads to A lot of new red tape has led to a sharp drop in agricultural exports, The old subsidy system and the end of the government New trade agreementSome people worry that this may trigger a large amount of cheap imported food produced below the standard allowed by the UK.
Agricultural groups are cautious about the new measures — the government says they are designed to be flexible, allow tenant farmers to apply easily and avoid “punishing” conditions in the event of accidental violations — but some people worry that these measures are not enough.
Lynette Steel, a farm policy consultant for the Tenant Farmers Association, said that when combined with other government incentives (such as a management plan that rewards farmers who meet basic environmental conditions), the payments provided are “attractive enough.”But she added that the current high food prices will discourage farmers from applying: “Given today’s commodity market, many farmers will think that agriculture for the purpose of agriculture is more economically beneficial. [food] According to the declared cost structure, production is not soil protection. “
