Tag: Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 2 February 2024.

New measures aim to reduce dog attacks on livestock.

Tougher powers to tackle livestock worrying have taken a significant step forward today (2 February) with the announcement of government backing for new legislation.

Livestock worrying – when dogs chase, attack, or cause distress to livestock – can result in significant injury and suffering and in the worst cases, the death of the animals involved. These incidents are also distressing for livestock keepers and can have significant financial costs.

Under the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Bill – a Private Members’ Bill sponsored by Dr Thérèse Coffey MP – the police will be given greater powers to respond to livestock worrying incidents more effectively – making it easier for them to collect evidence and, in the most serious cases, seize and detain dogs to reduce the risk of further attacks.

Since the original 1953 Act was brought in, the number of livestock in England and Wales has doubled with more people visiting the countryside.

By supporting the Bill, the Government is delivering on pledges made in its Action Plan for Animal Welfare and recognising the financial and emotional impacts farmers face as a result of dog attacks on livestock.

Farming Minister Mark Spencer said:

“Livestock worrying has a devastating impact, causing distress to farmers and their animals, as well as the financial implications.

“This Bill will crack down on this issue, widening the scope to protect more farm animals covered by law and giving police more powers to act. We will do all we can to support its swift passage through Parliament.”

Dr Thérèse Coffey MP said:

“We have heard from the police that they need more up to date powers to help them identify the dogs that are attacking and worrying livestock, and subsequently their owners. It is great to get out and enjoy nature, but dog owners should be careful and ideally put their dogs on a lead when on or near a working farm to avoid such attacks.”

The Bill would modernise existing legislation to ensure it remains fit for purpose, including extending the livestock definition to include alpacas and llamas and widening locations where enforcement can be taken to roads and paths.

The Bill will also address current enforcement challenges and give the police more powers to seize dogs after serious incidents and greater powers of entry, as well as the power to take evidence samples from livestock and dogs help investigate these crimes.

Support for this Bill builds on the Government’s efforts to enhance our world-leading standards of animal welfare. The UK was the first country in the world to introduce animal cruelty offences and is the highest ranked G7 nation according to World Animal Protection’s Index.  Our flagship Action Plan for Animal Welfare committed us to going even further to protect animals.

The Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Bill – which is only possible now we have left the European Union – will put an end to the export of live animals for slaughter and fattening from Great Britain, stopping animals enduring unnecessary stress, exhaustion and injury on long journeys.

The recently introduced Pet Abduction Bill – which has government support – will create a new specific offence to tackle dog and cat abduction.

Since publishing the Action Plan for Animal Welfare in 2021, we have also brought in new laws to recognise animal sentience, introduced tougher penalties for animal cruelty offences; extended the ivory ban to cover other ivory bearing species; introduced legislation to ban the keeping of primates as pets and supported legislation to ban glue traps, the import of detached shark fins and measures to ban the advertising and offering for sale of low welfare activities abroad.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 1 February 2024.

It is now illegal to own an XL Bully dog unless it is registered and complies with strict rules including being neutered and muzzled in public.

This delivers on the Government’s pledge to take quick and decisive action to protect the public from devastating dog attacks by adding the breed type to the list of dangerous dogs.

The decision was made following a concerning rise in fatal dog attacks involving the XL Bully breed type. Up until 2021 there were around 3 fatalities per year. There have been 23 since the start of 2021 – with the XL Bully being involved in many of these tragic attacks.

From today, anyone found in possession of these dangerous dogs and is not meeting the strict rules will have their dog seized and faces prosecution and a criminal record.

Environment Secretary Steve Barclay said:

“The ban on XL Bullies is now in place meaning it is illegal to own one of these dogs unless it has been registered.

“We have delivered our pledge to bring in this important measure to protect public safety, and we expect all XL Bully owners to comply with the strict conditions.”

In order to safely manage the existing population of these dogs, owners of XL Bully dogs must register their dogs and make sure they comply with strict rules. This includes having them microchipped, kept on a lead and muzzled when in public and, to ensure these dogs cannot continue breeding, they must also be neutered. For most dogs, this will be by 30 June, and for dogs under one year old, this should be by the end of 2024.

The Government will continue supporting the police to make sure the ban is effectively enforced, and ministers met with police chiefs this week to discuss their preparations to implement the ban.

The ban applies to England and Wales. The Scottish Government has also announced they will be bringing forward an XL Bully Ban

Notes to editors:

• Latest figures show over 35,000 dogs have now been registered with full details of ownership provided enabling authorities to keep the public safe.
• There have been over 150 claims for compensation. -It can take a few days to process applications and so you may not receive your Certificate of Exemption by the 1st February. If the authorities ask to see your Certificate of Exemption during this period, you can show them evidence that you have applied.
• Neutering guidelines:
• If your dog less than one year old on 31 January 2024, it must be neutered and evidence received by 31 December 2024
• If your dog is more than one year old on 31 January 2024, it must be neutered and evidence received by 30 June 2024
• If your dog is already neutered, a vet must confirm this by:
• 31 December 2024 for dogs less than one year old on 31 January 2024
• 30 June 2024 for dogs more than one year old on 31 January 2024

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 31 January 2024.

One year on since the publication of the Environmental Improvement Plan, the government launches new measures to halt and reverse nature’s decline.

Puffins, porpoises, and pine martens are just some of the species set to benefit from new measures set out by the Government today (31 January) to boost nature recovery on land and at sea.

The new plans – announced one year on from the launch of the Environmental Improvement Plan – will see a permanent closure of the sandeel fisheries in English waters of the North Sea from April, further targeted restrictions on damaging bottom trawling and a new framework for national parks and protected areas to help them better deliver for nature.

Sandeels are a vital food source for some of our most vulnerable seabirds and marine mammals, such as the iconic puffin and harbour porpoise, and commercially important fish species such as haddock and whiting. This closure will bolster the resilience of these species and make space for nature to recover across our marine habitats.

Important pink sea fans, fragile sponges, anemones will also be further boosted with a targeted ban announced on bottom trawling in an additional 13 Marine Protected Areas.

To bring us closer to achieving the global goal to protect 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030, a new framework for National Parks and National Landscapes to help them better deliver for nature and access will also be published. This builds on the commitments the government set out at COP28, including a map which demonstrates which areas of land could contribute to the 30by30 target in England.

The framework will support our cherished Protected Landscapes and landowners to deliver our Environmental Improvement Plan targets including tree planting and peatland restoration which are essential for sequestering and storing carbon to mitigate the impacts of climate change while supporting biodiversity.

Environment Secretary Steve Barclay said:

We’ve made a lot of progress since we launched the Environmental Improvement Plan – we’ve planted nearly 5 million trees, improved public access to our beautiful countryside and accelerated the adoption of our world-leading farming schemes.

We are building on this progress with a new package to safeguard our marine ecosystems and bring us one step closer to achieving our 30by30 target, both on land and sea.

Protecting the environment is fundamental to the prosperity of our country and our new commitments will drive forward our mission to create a cleaner and greener country for all.”

Tony Juniper, Chair of Natural England, said:

Restoring thriving ecosystems is a vital process, not only for meeting our national Nature recovery goals, but also for our food and water security, wellbeing and economic prosperity.

The measures set out by the government today will take us closer to meeting our ambitious 2030 targets, both on land and at sea. Natural England has played a key role over the last year delivering the commitments set out in the Environmental Improvement Plan and we look forward to continuing to work in close partnership with government to accelerate delivery on the ground.

Beccy Speight chief executive of the RSPB said:

Answering the RSPB’s call to end industrial Sandeel fishing, today’s announcement is a vital lifeline from our Government for our seabirds when they need it most. The UK is home to globally important seabird colonies, but these populations are at the forefront of the nature and climate emergency and are in significant decline, with their resilience being pushed to the limit.

To support the recovery of our seabirds, the RSPB has long recommended an end to industrial Sandeel fishing in UK waters to secure vital food sources for these amazing birds. A call that has been passionately backed by tens of thousands of our members and supporters when Defra launched a public consultation on the issue. Halting wildlife decline and putting nature on the path to recovery must be supported by a programme of Government actions and today’s announcement represents one of those jigsaw pieces, along with demonstrating that overwhelmingly the public supports  these actions that enable nature’s recovery.

The government has also announced the recipients of £7 million of awards to improve lowland peat soils.

Peatlands are our largest terrestrial carbon store, however, as a result of centuries of drainage for agriculture, just 1% of England’s lowland peatlands remain in a near-natural state, and these drained peatlands account for 88% of all greenhouse gas emissions from England’s peat.

The 34 projects, spread across England’s lowland peat regions such as the Cambridgeshire Fens and Somerset Levels, will use government funding to improve the management of water on lowland peat and enhance understanding of climate change impacts and flood risk. They include projects that will use innovative technologies, such as telemetry, to precisely control water retention levels across the landscape.

Since the launch of the Environmental Improvement Plan a year ago, the government has delivered more than 50 commitments set out in the plan and the Environment Act. This includes:

• Implementing a ban on single-use plastics
• Planting nearly 5 million trees
• Accelerating the Sustainable Farming Incentive and a launching   further 34 new Landscape Recovery projects – putting us on track to have 70% of land in Environmental Land Management schemes by 2028
• Launching a new species survival fund
• Beginning the process of creating a new national park and forest for the nation
• Significantly improving air quality with PM2.5 emissions down by 10%
• Improving access to the countryside by opening up a further 245 miles of the King Charles III England Coast Path

Delivering on these commitments will ensure that our most important places, at the core of nature’s recovery, deliver for people and the planet. In doing so, we will create a natural world that is rich in diverse plants and wildlife and restored for future generations to enjoy.

It is due to UK leadership that the global target to protect 30% of land and sea by 2030, known as 30by30 was adopted and these announcements today will further support that target and the historic agreement for nature reached by the UK and nearly 200 countries at the 2022 UN Biodiversity summit.

Notes to editors:

Sandeels:

• A spatial closure of English waters of the North Sea to fishing for sandeel will be introduced before the start of this year’s sandeel fishing season on 1 April.
• UK vessels are not permitted to fish for sandeel because the UK’s share of the Total Allowable Catch for North Sea sandeel is not allocated. The spatial closure will extend that prohibition to all vessels operating in English waters of the North Sea.
• In March 2023 Defra undertook a public consultation proposing options for future sandeel management in English waters of the North Sea.  Over 95% of respondents support some form of prohibition on fishing for sandeel, with a majority favouring the closure of all English waters.

Marine Protected Area protections:

• The UK is at the forefront of marine protection with 377 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) protecting 38% of UK waters. In English waters there are 181 sites protecting 40% of our seas. We have built a comprehensive network of MPAs and are now focusing on measures to enhance their protection.
• Now that we are an independent coastal state, free from the Common Fisheries Policy, the Fisheries Act 2020 introduced new powers enabling the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) to implement fisheries management measures in MPAs in English offshore waters. The first 4 offshore MPA byelaws were implemented in 2022.
• MMO consulted last year on proposals to restrict bottom-towed fishing gear over rock and reef habitat in a further 13 MPAs and we are announcing today that a byelaw will be implemented to bring those proposals into effect.

###Improving lowland agricultural peat:

• Projects funded under the Lowland Agricultural Peat Water Discovery Pilot and the Lowland Agricultural Peat Small Infrastructure Pilot will help to deliver our mosaic approach, which includes more sustainable farming practices and restoring peat where possible, helping to deliver on our Net Zero goals and providing further environmental co-benefits.
• Our new lowland agricultural peat pilots are designed to provide much-needed evidence, which will help to deliver on the recommendations of the Lowland Agricultural Peat Task Force report – known as the Caudwell report – which was published in June 2023.
• Under the Lowland Agricultural Peat Water Discovery Pilot, delivered by the Environment Agency: 13 projects (totalling £3.1 million) will receive funding, which is enabling local collaborations to develop costed water management plans that support our mosaic approach to reducing carbon emissions from lowland peat soils, including both sustainable farming on higher water tables and peat restoration where possible.
• Under the Lowland Agricultural Peat Small Infrastructure Pilot: 21 projects (totalling £3.8 million) will receive funding, which is supporting Internal Drainage Boards to update and install water management infrastructure to enable better water management for peat and the environment.

Protected Landscapes Outcomes Framework:

• The Protected Landscape targets are non-statutory and create a shared ambition for all 44 of England’s Protected Landscapes (National Parks and National Landscapes). National Landscapes is the new name for designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs).
• The targets are for the Protected Landscapes as places (the geographic area covered by the designation).
• Whilst action will be coordinated by Protected Landscape bodies it will be the responsibility of all stakeholders, partners and land managers in the area to support their delivery.
• The targets are based on an analysis of the environmental potential of the Protected Landscapes to deliver on current national targets. Each individual Protected Landscape body will set their own individual contribution to these national targets for Protected Landscapes.
• At COP28 the government published a map indicating which areas could count towards the target to protect 30% of our land for nature by 2030. More information can be found here: Delivering 30by30 on land in England – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Projects for Nature platform:

• At COP28, the government announced a new initiative to align financial flows to nature recovery. The Projects for Nature scheme will match corporate donations to nature restoration projects selected by Defra, Natural England and the Environment Agency in an effort to link up forward thinking businesses, such as Lloyd’s Banking Group and Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks, with projects to help us reach our environmental targets.
• To learn more about the Projects for Nature initiative and view the platform, visit: www.projectsfornature.com.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 25 January 2024.

Owners must act now to register their dog by 31 January.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 19 January 2024.

New law will create a new specific offence for dog and cat abduction.

A new criminal offence for pet abduction has taken a significant step forward today (19 January) with the announcement of government backing for new legislation.

Under the Pet Abduction Bill – a Private Member’s Bill sponsored by Anna Firth MP – anyone found guilty of stealing a pet will face up to five years in prison, a fine, or both.

By supporting the Pet Abduction Bill, the Government is delivering on pledges made in its Action Plan for Animal Welfare.  This recognised that cats and dogs are not inanimate objects but sentient beings capable of experiencing distress and other emotional trauma when they are stolen from their owners or keepers.

Evidence from the Pet Theft Taskforce suggests that around 2,000 dog theft and over 400 cat theft crimes were reported to police in 2020, causing considerable distress for owners and their pets alike. With an estimated 28% of UK adults owning a dog and 24% owning a cat, pet theft is a major concern to the public.

Environment Secretary Steve Barclay said:

“As a dog owner myself, I appreciate deeply what treasured members of the family dogs and cats are. It is a deeply traumatic experience for both the owner and the pet when they are stolen.

“This vital Bill will recognise the severity of this shocking crime and should act as a deterrent to anyone considering stealing a dog or cat. We will do all we can to support its swift passage through Parliament.”

Anna Firth MP said:

“I am absolutely delighted that the Pet Abduction Bill has passed its second reading, and will move on to Committee stage. As a nation of pet-lovers, it is vital that the law recognises the emotional impact that the abduction of a pet can have, and brings the perpetrators to justice that correctly reflects this.

“Pets are not merely property like a smartphone or watch – they are part of the family. It is not right that the law does not distinguish this and I am delighted that my bill will redress this wrong.”

Today’s announcement builds upon wider work to protect pets from theft, including making it compulsory to microchip all pet cats and dogs in, making it easier for lost, stray or stolen pets to be reunited with their owners and returned home safely.

This builds on the Government’s efforts to enhance our world-leading standards of animal welfare. The UK was the first country in the world to introduce animal cruelty offences and is the highest ranked G7 nation according to World Animal Protection’s Index.  Our flagship Action Plan for Animal Welfare committed us to going even further to protect animals.

The Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Bill – which is only possible now we have left the European Union – was introduced to Parliament last month and will put an end to the export of live animals for slaughter and fattening from Great Britain, stopping animals enduring unnecessary stress, exhaustion and injury on long journeys.

Since publishing the Action Plan for Animal Welfare in 2021, we have also brought in new laws to recognise animal sentience, introduced tougher penalties for animal cruelty offences; extended the ivory ban to cover other ivory bearing species; introduced legislation to ban the keeping of primates as pets and supported legislation to ban glue traps, the import of detached shark fins and measures to ban the advertising and offering for sale of low welfare activities abroad.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 18 January 2024.

The pesticide will only be used if there is a threat to the crop, and stringent controls are attached to protect the environment.

• The threshold for neonicotinoid use has increased on previous years to the highest level it’s ever been set
• The government is committed to finding innovative solutions to manage pests and promote food production while protecting the environment

A neonicotinoid pesticide will be permitted for use on the 2024 sugar beet crop in England, only if there is a danger as evidenced by an independent prediction of virus incidence of 65% or more.

Emergency Authorisations for pesticides are only granted for a limited period of time, in special circumstances where it is necessary because of a danger that cannot be contained by any other reasonable means, and the use is limited and controlled.

Use of Cruiser SB will be permitted if levels of yellow virus are predicted by an independent model to exceed a particular threshold. If this threshold is not met, use of the product will not be permitted.

This year’s threshold for use is at the highest level it has ever been set. Even if the threshold is passed, further conditions will be applied to minimise the risk to the environment.

This includes restrictions on the crops which farmers can plant in subsequent years in any field where treated seed has been used, and compliance with the stewardship scheme to treat and use seed correctly and to monitor the level of neonicotinoids in the environment.

The application of the neonicotinoid pesticide protects crops against viruses to safeguard food production, while the threshold attached to its application helps protect the wider environment.

The government is committed to moving away from pesticide use and is supporting innovative methods to support land farmers effectively manage pests. Even if Cruiser SB were to be used on every sugar beet field in England, the amount of active substance would still be over 90% lower than the quantity of neonicotinoids applied to crops in each of the years 2012 to 2016.

Sugar beet seedlings and young plants are vulnerable to feeding by aphids which transmit viruses leading to reduced beet size and lower sugar content. The viruses can reduce yields up to 50%, impacting individual growers, domestic sugar production and an industry which sustains almost 10,000 jobs across the country.

More than half of the UK’s sugar comes from domestic production and in 2020, 25% of the national sugar beet crop was lost, costing £67 million of total economic loss across the industry.

Farming Minister Mark Spencer said:

We recognise the damaging impact that an outbreak of beet yellow virus could have on farmer livelihoods. We therefore regard issuing an emergency authorisation as a necessary and proportionate measure.

The product can only be used if a threshold is met, and its use will be strictly controlled. This decision is based on robust scientific assessment and the risks have been evaluated very carefully.

Sugar beet plants are harvested before they flower and do not generally exude through leaves or stems. Given this, the sugar beet crop itself is considered to be unattractive to bees, and there is little risk arising from bees foraging on pollen and nectar of the sugar beet crop.

The Government recently held a roundtable with members of the British sugar industry and environmental organisations during which the industry’s plan to move away from neonicotinoid use was discussed. The Farming Minister urges the applicants and others in the sector to drive forward these plans, including measures to improve seed germination, so that their outputs can be implemented in the field at pace.

The government has also set out actions to increase the use of Integrated Pest Management in agriculture. This includes new paid actions as part of the Sustainable Farming Incentive Scheme, such as an option to move to insecticide-free farming.

These actions will support farmers to increase their use of Integrated Pest Management solutions, thereby reducing the risks associated with pesticides, combatting pesticide resistance, and supporting sustainable agricultural productivity.

The Farming Minister considered advice on this application from Defra’s Chief Scientific Adviser, the Health and Safety Executive, the independent UK Expert Committee on Pesticides and economists.

The UK’s approach to emergency authorisations has not changed following our departure from the EU and the overall ban on the use of neonicotinoid pesticides remains in place.

Notes to Editors:

• To read the statement of reasons, visit: Neonicotinoid product as seed treatment for sugar beet: emergency authorisation application 2024 – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
• Defra approved an emergency authorisation for neonicotinoid use in 2023 with a virus incidence threshold of 63% or above; in 2022 the virus incidence threshold was set at 19% or above.
• The decision applies to England only.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 11 January 2024.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has today (11 January 2024) announced the appointment of Chris Tyas OBE as a non-executive board member.

Non-executive board members are senior figures from outside government, appointed to provide challenge to government departments. All non-executive board member appointments follow an open and transparent process, in line with the government’s Code of Good Practice for Corporate Governance in Central Government Departments. As set out in the Code of Practice, non-executive board members are appointed directly by the Secretary of State and are not civil servants.

Chris’ term as non-executive board member will last for three years. The Defra board provides strategic, corporate leadership to the department and has particular responsibility for monitoring performance and delivery.

Chris Tyas OBE

Chris is the Chair of GS1UK, the neutral, not-for-profit standards organisation whose data standards power barcodes and QR codes globally across food, consumer goods, healthcare and construction. Chris recently spent two years as the co-Chair of Defra’s Food Resilience Industry Forum, helping to bring together all parts of the food supply chain during the pandemic.

Prior to that, Chris had a 40-year career in the food industry, working for Mars and Nestle in a variety of roles across procurement, manufacturing, HR, IT and logistics. He has spent the last five years as the Senior Vice President responsible for Nestle’s global supply chain, based in Switzerland.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 9 January 2024.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 4 January 2024.

Environment Secretary announces major updates for farmers, with an increase in funding and reduction in red tape this summer.

The biggest upgrade to the UK’s farming schemes since leaving the European Union has been set out by the Environment Secretary Steve Barclay at the Oxford Farming Conference today (4 January 2024).

The updates include funding uplifts, streamlined application processes, enhanced environmental incentives and support for the roll out of new technology. These will provide further support for British farmers, strengthening supply chains and helping deliver the Government’s commitment to continue to produce at least 60% of the food we eat in the UK.

Under the UK’s agricultural transition, new farming schemes are paying farmers to take actions that boost sustainable food production while delivering positive outcomes for the environment. The schemes are designed to work for all farm types and sizes, with thousands of farmers across England already taking part, and replace the bureaucratic Common Agricultural Policy which saw 50% of funding go to the largest 10% of landowners.

Speaking at the conference, Steve Barclay reiterated the Government’s support for British farmers and outlined the updated offer for 2024 which has been designed using farmers’ feedback and aims to bring more farmers onboard the schemes and facilitate even greater environmental ambition.

The improvements include:

• A 10% increase in the average value of agreements in the Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship driven by increased payment rates, with uplifts automatically applied to existing agreements.
• A streamlined single application process for farmers to apply for the Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier.
• Around 50 new actions that farmers can get paid for across all types of farm businesses, including actions for agroforestry and those driving forward agricultural technology such as robotic mechanical weeding.
• Enhanced payments for ‘creation’ and ‘maintenance’ options to improve the long term incentives for farmers to create habitats and ensure they are rewarded for looking after habitats once they have created them.
• Premium payments for actions with the biggest environmental impact or combinations of actions that deliver benefits at scale, such as £765 per hectare for nesting plots for lapwing, and £1,242 per hectare for connecting river and floodplain habitat.

Environment Secretary Steve Barclay said:

Farmers do the essential job of keeping Britain fed. That’s why I’ll back British farmers and help support farming businesses.

We have listened to farmers’ feedback and set out the biggest upgrades to our farming schemes since leaving the EU, with more money, more choice and more trust to support domestic food production whilst also protecting the environment.

We’re also making it easier for farmers of every farm type and size to enter the schemes, and I encourage everyone to take a look at how you can join the thousands of other farmers and land managers who are already receiving our backing through the schemes.

Farmers will be able to submit their applications for the 2024 offer from this summer, and the timeline for agreements being offered will be accelerated to help farmers benefit from the changes earlier than in previous years.

The application process will also be simplified in 2024 by enabling farmers to apply for the Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier through a single application.

Farmers and landowners can be paid for taking a range of actions under the government’s farming schemes, such as actions to improve soil health or providing nesting and foraging habitats for farmland wildlife. The Government has listened to feedback and introduced more ‘maintenance’ actions, alongside improving existing actions, to reward farmers who are already protecting the environment, for example through maintaining grasslands, wetlands and scrub. Farmers will also be paid more for existing actions to maintain habitats, with the price of maintaining species rich grassland, for example, rising from £182 to £646 per hectare.

The offer also includes more actions for shorter length agreements of up to three years to make the schemes more accessible for tenant farmers.

Today’s announcement builds on significant improvements to the farming schemes in 2023, with thousands of farmers already taking part. Around 8,000 farmers to date have applied to the Sustainable Farming Incentive 2023 and there has been a 94% increase in Countryside Stewardship agreements since 2020. This adds to the more than 50 Landscape Recovery projects to deliver large scale environmental benefits around the country.

It comes alongside ongoing support for farmer-led innovation and technology, with the Government committing over £168 million in grant funding to farmers in 2023 to drive innovation, support food production, improve animal health and welfare and protect the environment. This includes the Environment Secretary announcing a further £45 million at the Country Land and Business Association conference in November to fund robotic and automatic equipment and invest in research and development.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 1 January 2024.

Four committee member terms are extended.