Thus making farms available for purchase at a song. For Tory mates. Luxury flats a go go, and when you've run out of flood plains to build on you can flog the rest to your US firms to use to produce their delightful ranges of cheap food from.
"Tony Juniper, Chair of Natural England, said:"
"This plan marks an historic shift in the way we manage our land, setting us on course toward the production of sustainable food at the same time as rising to the urgent task if halting and reversing the decline of Nature."
"More than two thirds of England is farmed and this plan paves the way for those who manage the land to produce healthy food alongside other vital benefits, such as carbon storage, clean water, reduced flood risk, thriving wildlife and beautiful landscapes for everyone to enjoy." ...
Environment Secretary George Eustice:
"We want farmers to access public money to help their businesses become more productive and sustainable, whilst taking steps to improve the environment and animal welfare, and deliver climate change outcomes on the land they manage."
"Rather than the prescriptive, top down rules of the EU era, we want to support the choices that farmers and land managers take. If we work together to get this right, then a decade from now the rest of the world will want to follow our lead." ...
"Launching a Farming Investment Fund, which will support innovation and productivity. This will open for applications next year and will be used to offer grants for equipment, technology and infrastructure for the future."
A Scottish farmer phoned in to LBC this morning to say that he had already applied for an equipment grant two weeks ago, under a pilot scheme - he seemed happy.
"In order to ensure that farmers are adequately supported throughout this journey, a farming resilience programme will be made available throughout the first three years of the agricultural transition period to help those most affected by the phasing out of Direct Payments. This will help farmers plan and manage their businesses through the transition to the new system." ...
"Work is ongoing to design the future scheme in collaboration with farmers and land managers and will continue next year, with the expected launch of the National Pilot in late 2021, which will involve up to 5,500 farmers over a three-year period. This will build on the lessons from the 68 live tests and trials being carried out by farmers across England to assess how the fundamental building blocks of the scheme will work on the ground. This will ensure that the new scheme delivers for our farmers and land managers, as well as delivering greener, cleaner landscapes and reversing the decline of some of our most cherished species."
"Expressions of interest for the National Pilot are also expected to open early next year."
www.gov.uk/government/news/government-unveils-path-to-sustainable-farming-from-2021