'Lifeline for farmers' - extend farm payments another three years – Tim Farron

This would be a year after farmers begin to lose their BPS cash and would leave the industry in the dark about what exactly would be on offer from the Government until the last moment.

It is feared farmers will drop out of old agri-environment schemes without re-joining new ones to focus on their core business in uncertain times.

Uncertainty

NFU uplands forum chairman Thomas Binns said: “Farmers are still facing substantial uncertainty over their future from continuing Brexit delays to uncertainty about our future trade policy.

“As a result, farmer confidence continues to slip, particularly among hill farmers. Until there is certainty, it is absolutely necessary to delay the Government’s planned transition of payment schemes.

“This is a particularly critical set of issues for farming in the uplands and we now need to build farmer confidence back up – delaying the move to a new system of payments is a sensible, necessary decision that Government should take.”

George Dunn, chief executive of the Tenant Farmers Association added: “With the Agriculture Bill currently stalled, uncertainty about how and when we will leave the EU, and what our trading position will be when we do, it makes sense to buy more time before we make major changes to policy.”

CLA president Tim Breitmeyer agreed, adding it was ‘difficult to see how a move away from the Basic Payment Scheme can start with any credibility’.

It came as Jo Swinson became the new leader of the Liberal Democrats on Monday (July 22).