UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is investing more than €260 million in forward-looking technology and productivity programs to ensure farmers can invest in automation. These programs also include financing energy efforts, such as rooftop solar energy.

The capital injection means an increase from 105 million to almost 260 million euros compared to the previous program. This increase is necessary to meet increasing demand. Sunak announced this at a meeting of the British farmers’ association NFU in Birmingham. This is the first time since 2008 that a British Prime Minister has addressed a farmers’ meeting.

Furthermore, Sunak announced that he would increase payments for farmers’ sustainability efforts, so that Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) participants will receive an additional €1,200 in April. Around 11,000 farmers participate in this program, which is similar to an eco-friendly scheme.

These improvements are necessary, the Prime Minister said. “Farmers have to face rising global prices for things like fuel and fertilizer.” He also pointed out that his cabinet had succeeded in reducing inflation – from 11.1 percent last year to 4 percent currently. “And we increased payments in our agricultural programs by an average of 10 percent.” Additionally, Sunak promised that ‘every penny’ of the €2.8 billion agricultural budget would go to agriculture.

Less administrative hassle

The Prime Minister also announced that he would reduce red tape around agricultural development, so farmers have more opportunities to build and diversify their businesses.

He also announced new regulations for the dairy sector, which will provide them with reasonable and transparent contracts. Similar regulations for the pig sector will come into force later this year and the egg sector is also expected to follow.

Finally, a new annual UK Food Security Index will begin tracking levels of food security. This follows the NFU’s ongoing campaign on the importance of food security.

Historically low self-confidence

NFU President Minette Batters was pleased with Sunak’s words. He pointed out that the water reached the lips of many farmers and gardeners in England. Farmers’ and gardeners’ confidence in the future is historically low, he said, referring to the index. Farmers are also facing the impact of rising fuel and fertilizer prices. They are also faced with unfair trade practices so they do not dare to take action.

The shift from a basic support system for farmers to a payment system based on sustainability efforts is also worrying. He referred, among other things, to calculations carried out by the government in Wales. This, among other things, indicates that livestock populations will shrink, 5,500 jobs will be lost, and total agricultural income will decrease by 230 million.

Some farmers are also still dealing with the impact of last year’s floods in Lincolnshire. Water levels have been too high in many places for long periods of time, sometimes because fields act as water buffers. Therefore, certain crops have not been planted and other crops have been washed away or rotted on the land. Batters therefore advocates paying farmers to store floodwater on their land.

Batters resigns as NFU chairman. At the meeting he handed the hammer to Tom Bradshaw, an arable farmer from North Essex.