Defra minister hears industry fears on visit to NFU HQ

Despite an unprecedented eight months of extreme weather affecting all farming sectors in England, Defra has no plans to reverse the slide in falling basic payments.

Defra secretary Steve Barclay attended the NFU’s quarterly council meeting in Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, on Monday 22 April – the first time in years that a minister has attended the meeting in person.

The timing of Mr Barclay’s visit on Monday 22 April coincides with farming being at a very low ebb, mirroring the Conservative government’s current position and its desperation to maintain the rural vote ahead of the looming general election, which is likely to be held later this year.

See also: Interview: NFU president Tom Bradshaw speaks his mind

The meeting was held behind closed doors, but the mood in the room was described as “sombre at best”. Both farmers and the government are looking for answers to acute problems affecting the industry, such as the effects of climate change and weather extremes, price volatility and global events.

Today Defra Secretary of State @SteveBarclay attended #NFUCouncil at our HQ.

He heard from English & Welsh farmers & growers on the devastating impact of the exceptional wet weather.

It was an open, frank & often emotional behind-closed-doors conversation. pic.twitter.com/1RdWCU7YJL

— National Farmers’ Union (@NFUtweets) April 22, 2024

NFU Council members have created a list of options for the government to help ease the current crisis in farming.

They rely on their leadership to take these to the government in the coming weeks to find solutions.

The uncertainty surrounding the timing of the election is adding to the jeopardy in these negotiations, said one source.

“It seems the government is currently unwilling to address these issues as expressed in the meeting, leaving the farming industry hanging by a thread until solutions are found,” the source added.

In the open session on Tuesday 23 April, NFU president Tom Bradshaw explained that Monday’s meeting was held under Chatham House rules, which means participants are free to reveal the information, but not the identity of the speakers.

Reflecting on Monday’s meeting, in the open session, Mr Bradshaw said Mr Barclay “will have left with some really difficult messaging”.

“The passion, the emotions, the concern, the fear that the industry is facing today. They are awful things to have to talk about, but they are the realities on the ground at this moment in time,” Mr Bradshaw told delegates.

The continuous wet weather had caused numerous challenges for the industry, including lambing losses, dairy farmers unable to turn out cattle, full slurry stores, silage quality diminishing, cereal farmers unable to drill spring crops and rising straw prices.

NFU president Tom Bradshaw addresses NFU Council © MAG/Philip Case

‘Exceptional circumstances’

Mr Bradshaw called on political parties to recognise the “exceptional circumstances” farmers are facing, and acknowledge that the policies and actions they take now really matter.

He said Mr Barclay had been clear that his door remains open and said the NFU should put forward its solutions for industry. But the minister insisted Defra will continue to phase out basic payments.

“We will have to decide just how hard we fight with our rural champion MPs to really make the point about the role, the resilience that the BPS payment has given to our farming industry,” Mr Bradshaw said.

On 16 April, Defra placed a statutory instrument into parliament to further reduce direct support.

Mr Bradshaw said 18,000 farmer applications for Defra’s Sustainable Farming Incentive in England was better than the NFU had anticipated at this stage.

But this still only represented one-quarter of eligible farmers, and there is a real cost to access the scheme, despite the undoubted benefits to the environment.