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

To ask His Majesty's Government what funds are available through the new Environmental Land Management schemes to support the establishment of local abattoirs and food processing hubs to improve farmers’ access to food markets.

Our Environmental Land Management schemes do not include support for abattoirs or food processing hubs. However, the Government recognises the important role local abattoirs play in supporting rural economies and maintaining a robust and competitive sector. The first round of the Farming Investment Fund opened in 2022. This offered access to financial support to establish new producer led abattoirs through our Adding Value offer. We have previously offered support for a mobile abattoir through the Rural Development Programme for England. In February 2023, Mark Spencer, Minister for Food and Farming, announced the launch of a new smaller abattoir fund to help drive productivity, add value, promote innovation and utilise new technology and enhance animal welfare. Defra is working closely with the sector on the design and content of this fund and full details of the funding package will be announced later this year.

With regards to other support for farmers, we have committed to spend around £600 million on grants and other support for farmers to invest in productivity, animal health and welfare and innovation over three years and paid out over £30 million so far in grants for technology and equipment. We have also provided 10,000 farmers with help and advice through the Future Farming Resilience Fund, which provides farmers with free advice to help farmers work out what to do for their business. Finally, we are looking at how we can support new entrants into the sector and those looking to grow their farming businesses by developing their entrepreneurial capabilities through a pilot scheme being run in conjunction with Harper Adams and Landworkers’ Alliance.