English farmers to be offered ‘largest ever’ grant scheme amid food security concerns

Rishi Sunak will promise farmers the “largest ever” grant scheme tomorrow, as well as the creation of a food security index, after criticism that Brexit trade deals and poor responses to flooding and rising costs have put England’s ability to feed itself at risk.

Against a backdrop of turmoil in the agricultural sector, with farmers in the UK and across the continent causing havoc with tractor protests against environmental regulations and a perceived lack of support, Sunak will respond to farmers’ calls for a commitment from government that the UK’s food self-sufficiency will remain at or exceed the current estimated level, which is about 60%.

There have been fears that Brexit impacts, including the new farming schemes that focus on nature rather than food production, and trade deals that have been accused of undercutting British farmers, will lower food security.

Speaking at the National Farmers’ Union in Birmingham, where he will be questioned by the outgoing president, Minette Batters, Sunak will also announce grants for farmers in England – claimed as the largest ever grant offer – expected to total £427m, and which will include an “unprecedented” package of funding for technology and productivity schemes.

This comes after the Guardian uncovered that the government had underspent hundreds of millions in its farming budget because land managers had not signed up to the post-Brexit farming schemes, which replaced the EU’s common agricultural policy and are aimed at encouraging farmers to look after nature.The Food Security Index will be published at the next Farm to Fork summit this spring. The UK-wide index will capture and present the key data needed to monitor how the country is maintaining its current levels of food security.

Batters has been highly critical of the post-Brexit farming policies, and has accused the government of breaking its promises. Ahead of the conference, she said: “The promise was three things. The easiest trade deal in history with the EU – well, that’s still problematic and still being resolved. A bonfire of regulation – I’d say we’ve got more regulation. And a lot more money because we won’t be paying it into Europe – we don’t see any signs of that yet.”

She added that farmers were facing a “volatile” world with farming changes and rising costs putting food security at risk. “Farming feels like it’s being used just for environmental targets. And we’ve got to do both.”

Farmers protested against cheap meat imports and drove tractors towards the Port of Dover in Kent on Saturday. Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PA

Over the weekend, 30 farmers parked their tractors at a supermarket car park in Dover, while 100 Welsh farmers parked up outside a Labour leadership debate to demand the Welsh government stops plans to force them to plant 10% of their land with trees. In Europe, farmers have been blockading major cities including Paris and Brussels to rail against new EU environmental regulations.

Last year at the NFU conference, the then environment secretary, Thérèse Coffey, rejected calls to regulate the egg supply chain after supermarket shelves emptied and egg farmers were going out of business due to rising costs. She rejected the idea there was a “market failure” and then was booed by farmers.

In a change of policy, Sunak is expected to announce “plans to ensure all farmers and producers are treated fairly”, with new regulations for the egg sector to ensure they have reasonable and transparent contracts with supermarkets and others in the supply chain expected to come later this year. The dairy and pig sector will also have these new regulations.

He will say: “While the importance of farmers will never change, farming is going through its biggest change in a generation. And as farmers do so, this government will be by their side. They have been dealing with soaring global prices in things like fuel and fertiliser. So, we’ve been working hard to get inflation down – from 11.1% last year to 4% now. And we’re increasing payments in our farming schemes by an average of 10%.

“[Farmers] are also at the forefront of innovation – from gene editing to boost resilience to disease, to automation to help harvest crops. And while thanks to you we enjoy good quality food all year round, global events – including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – have put food security back at the top of the agenda. We’ll never take our food security for granted. We’ve got a plan to support British farming – and we’re going further again today.”