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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to expand UK food production by domestic farms.

The Agriculture Transition Plan published in November 2020 outlined how we will support farmers to reduce their costs and improve their profitability.

Between 2021 and 2028, we will offer a range of support to help farmers maintain and improve productivity through investment in research and development.

From autumn 2021, we will open the new Farming Investment Fund which will provide grants to farmers, foresters, and growers (including contractors to these sectors).

The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund will support smaller investments through a pre-determined list of items, while the Farming Transformation Fund will support more substantial investments in equipment, technology, or infrastructure, with the potential to transform business performance.

These grants will help producers to focus on more efficient and sustainable production methods to reduce resource costs, improve yields, and give a better return.