Long wait for Budget puts Defra’s plans ‘on pause’

The long wait for Labour’s first Budget on 30 October has effectively put Defra’s work on pause, with announcements on some key policy areas now not expected until spring next year, farm leaders have warned.

Government ministers remained tight-lipped about the future of the agriculture budget at the party’s conference in Liverpool this week, despite sustained questioning at events where they were present.

In the summer, an announcement on Labour’s plans around fairness in supply chains was said to be “imminent”, but has not materialised.

See also: Budget cuts are coming at Defra. What next?

A decision on the tenant farming commissioner recommended by Baroness Rock, who was recently sacked by Defra secretary Steve Reed, has also been held up due to cost concerns.

NFU president Tom Bradshaw told Farmers Weekly the new government had the opportunity to take some “easy wins”, but has so far not done so, and this was “compounding uncertainty” for farmers.

“There are simple things that could’ve been done,” he said.

“The seasonal workers programme has already been committed to, we just need it reconfirmed.

“The Farm Recovery Fund was announced back in January and additional budget given in May. It still hasn’t come out to farm yet. Some farmers have spent all their money re-preparing their land to sow next year’s crop, then they’ve had a huge flood of rain again.

“Those actions could have been taken and would give much more confidence to the industry that the government has a plan and they’re delivering against it.”

Lack of vision

Labour’s lack of a plan and vision for the future of agriculture was a theme that many returned to throughout the conference, with chief executive of the Nature Friendly Farming Network, Martin Lines, saying this was needed “as soon as possible”.

“We hadn’t heard much of a plan from Labour coming into government, so who is helping them build that plan now?” he asked.  

“Is it farmers feeding in, or is it just civil servants, or is it other parts of the Labour Party? We need balanced voices going in there to get the right outcomes.”

Mr Lines also warned the continuing uncertainty around policy was affecting farmer confidence.

“Farmers aren’t sure if they should enter the new schemes in case they get cuts,” he said.

“Everyone is just in pause mode at the moment. We’re seeing many conditions in the market and the weather causing real financial stress to farmers, but with no certainty on the budget we are going to get for delivering more public goods.”

Speaking to the Farmers Weekly Podcast, farming minister Daniel Zeichner said he “heard the point” about a lack of long-term vision but said it would be delivered.

In the first instance, the industry needed reassurance that there would be no immediate policy changes.