Small Farms

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering Excerpts

Monday 1st December 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Katz (Lab)]

I thank the right reverend Prelate for his question. He is right to say that the Government are committed to farming, food security and nature recovery through a number of different environmental and land management schemes, including the sustainable farming incentive. He will be aware that the current scheme was closed last March, but it is fair to say that all agreements agreed to under previous iterations of the scheme are still live. It pays farmers to adopt and maintain sustainable farming practices that can protect and enhance the natural environment, alongside food production, and support farm productivity. We are determined to get this right. It is worth noting that only 40,000 of a potential 100,000 farming businesses took up the scheme under previous iterations, so it is really important that we get it right. We are determined to ensure that every farmer takes a look at the new scheme when we do, and we will obviously keep the House updated as to its publication.

[Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Con)]

My Lords—

[Lord Wigley (PC)]

My Lords—

[Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms and Chief Whip (Lord Kennedy of Southwark) (Lab Co-op)]

It is the turn of the Conservative Benches.

[Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Con)]

My Lords, does the noble Lord share my concern that, on the figures I have, 6,365 agriculture businesses have closed in the last year? That is the highest number of businesses to close in farming since 2017. Will he bring forward SFI to new entrants as a matter of urgent priority? Payments under the basic farm payment scheme in England are going down much faster than anyone envisaged, and this is causing real hardship for those who farm in the hills and dales of northern England.

[Lord Katz (Lab)]

Of course, the Government share concern when any farming business closes, which is why we are backing farmers to be more profitable and unlocking the full potential of the rural economy, making sure there is business stability and clarity so that they can invest with confidence. That is why we very much welcome the work that the noble Baroness, Lady Batters, did on profitability. We will align that with other strategies, such as the land use strategy, as we unveil this once-in-a-generation farming road map that should cover the next 25 years of agriculture. It is important to understand that over half of England’s farmland, more than 50,000 farm businesses, are already benefiting from our investment in environmental land management schemes, not just SFI but the Countryside Stewardship and landscape recovery schemes. It is important that we get the balance right between restoring nature and having productive farming.