Defra announces major changes to ELMs for upland farmers

Defra said the amendments will mean increased payment rates and improved options under Countryside Stewardship for upland farmers across England.

Today's announcement comes following sustained industry lobbying on behalf of upland farmers and include:

• Making payment rates in environmental land management schemes equal for both upland and lowland farms where they are carrying out the same actions. This means increased rates for upland farmers in four Countryside Stewardship options.

• Reviewing and amending a further seven Countryside Stewardship options make them more accessible to upland farmers.

• Improving engagement with upland farmers with focused advice and support to help them access schemes.

Prime Minister and Richmond MP Rishi Sunak said: “I want to pay tribute to our upland farmers who not only deliver some of our finest produce, but also act as the guardians of some of our country’s most iconic landscapes.

“As we work to deliver a fairer, more sustainable farming system outside the EU, we are determined to make sure their interests are at the heart of these efforts. That’s why we’ve set out a range of new support to ensure that they feel the benefits of our new schemes for years to come.”

Rishi Sunak talking to tenant farmer James Dent, of West End Farm, Swinithwaite, Wensleydale, in his role as Richmond MP, in 2015

Defra Secretary Thérèse Coffey added: “The uplands are a hugely important part of our English landscape and heritage and upland farmers are crucial for our rural economy.

“We’ve worked closely with upland farmers from day one, and they’ve told me personally what further support they need, so today we’re further responding to their feedback with increased payments, an improved offer and more engagement to ensure they are at the centre of our schemes.”

Defra Secretary Therese Coffey

Rewarding farmers for low inputs on grasslands in upland areas, which previously earned farmers £98 per hectare, will increase to £151 – the same payment farmers elsewhere receive. At the upper end of the scale, creation of upland wood pasture will increase from £333 per hectare to £544 to align payments for upland and lowland farmers.

There will also be improvements made to existing offers within Countryside Stewardship, with details to follow as part of the full 2024 offer in the summer, with Defra saying the changes support the Government’s pledge to ensure there is something for every type of farmer in the new schemes, as direct land-based payments are phased out.

Upland farmers can:

• Get paid for over 130 relevant actions under the Countryside Stewardship and the Sustainable Farming Inventive from 2024. This will include new moorland and upland peat action, with considerably higher payments for moorlands in good environmental condition.
• Extend their Higher Level Stewardship agreements for five years running alongside Countryside Stewardship or SFI agreements, allowing them to get paid for more actions and take advantage of price increases.
• Apply for the second round of the Landscape Recovery scheme, which is open to individual or groups of land managers.
• Apply for upland Wildlife Offers for a range of management options that focus on providing habitats for farm wildlife.
• Apply for the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme if they are in an AONB, National Park or the Broads.
• Express an interesting in a free vet visit to reduce costs and improve productivity.

Among the groups who lobbied Defra on the issue were the CLA and NFU.

CLA president Mark Tufnell said many upland farmers have felt forgotten in the move towards ELMs.

"Whilst there is more work to do, this announcement shows that the UK Government is listening to the farming community,” he added.

NFU vice president David Exwood described today's announcement as "really encouraging". “We have fought repeatedly for ELMs to be developed in a way that is inclusive and available to every farm business," he said. "This announcement for upland farmers means they will receive a huge uplift to the support available under the new schemes which will provide them with the confidence they need to plan for the future."

NFU Uplands Forum chair Thomas Binns said the news follows "the culmination of more than 18 months of dedicated work by the NFU to ensure upland farmers are valued for the food they produce and the public goods they provide".

“Numerous meetings and farm visits for ministers and the Secretary of State have helped us to demonstrate the public goods upland farmers deliver, in addition to the sustainable food we produce,” he said. “And with over 1,000 agreements including the GS5 option this change will have a significant impact to upland farmers.”

He thanked Defra for acting on their concerns, and said he hopes that the changes will mark “a real turning point in the government’s acknowledgement and understanding of the important role of upland farmers”.

“It is a positive first step that now allows us to focus on ensuring moorland and common land are equally recognised in the important contribution to upland farming, the environment and rural communities.

“For many upland farming families, it means we are able to go from firefighting and questioning our role in the future of British farming, to having the confidence and viability to make long-term decisions for our businesses. We will now be able to do what we do best; produce high-quality, protein-rich food and manage our most treasured landscapes.”