Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to bring forward his proposals to assist UK farmers in increasing food output and improving productivity.

In November 2020 we published the Path to Sustainable Farming: An Agricultural Transition Plan 2021 to 2024. This document sets out our plans for how, in England, we will create a renewed agricultural sector, producing healthy food for consumption at home and abroad, where farms can be profitable and economically sustainable without subsidy whilst contributing significantly to environmental goals including addressing climate change.

In autumn 2021 we will launch the Farming Investment Fund, formed of two strands. The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund will support smaller investments from a prescribed list of items; we are currently reviewing this to ensure it has an offer attractive to the horticulture sector. The Farming Transformation Fund will support more substantial investments in equipment, technology or infrastructure, including, on-farm reservoirs and related infrastructure, vital to the future success of the horticulture sector.