The future of farming in the uplands was high on the agenda in discussions between the NFU, Defra officials and a government minister.

NFU deputy president David Exwood met minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs Daniel Zeichner and Defra farming and countryside director Janet Hughes to highlight the approach needed to ensure Environmental Land Management schemes (ELMs) succeed in the hills. They also discussed Defra’s vision for the future of the uplands.

The meeting, which took place on NFU member Helen Drinkall’s farm in Lancashire, gave the Defra team the opportunity to see the realities of farming in the uplands and the current barriers of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) for upland businesses.

Mr Exwood said: “It was a great opportunity to have the minister and Defra director out on farm in Lancashire. They saw for themselves the vital role upland farmers play in producing food while also being stewards of some of the country’s most cherished landscapes.

“For ELMs to be a success it has got to work for all farm businesses, including those in the uplands. While NFU campaigning has led to positive increases in the number of options available for upland farmers under SFI, there still remains challenges about how hill farming businesses will be profitable while working to the income forgone model.

“We need to give upland farmers confidence and certainty by seeing a clear strategy from Defra on its vision for the future of the uplands. The creation of an uplands working group is also key to ensuring upland businesses are part of the solution to Defra’s environmental ambitions.”

NFU North Uplands Chair Dave Stanners, who farms in Northumberland, said: ““Uplands farmers in the North of England are stewards of some of our most challenging and iconic landscapes. Not only do we contribute to food production and help deliver many of the government’s environmental ambitions, but we also provide a critical part of the culture and heritage of our countryside, which is shaped by traditional farming practices over centuries.

“It was great to meet the minister and Defra farming and countryside director out on farm so they could hear and see for themselves some of the challenges we are facing. We want a clear strategy from government to support upland farmers so we can continue producing food and also ensure our farming businesses will be profitable.”

For ELMs to be a success in the uplands the NFU is calling for the minister to create an uplands working group, for Defra to undertake and publish an impact assessment of the current ELMs offer and a transition for upland businesses from direct payments, clarification on ‘heavy sheep’ on the hills and how this limits upland business’s ability to apply for SFI and a clear strategy from Defra on its vision for the uplands and how businesses remain profitable.

Other requests include wider SFI options available to upland farmers to be detached from destocking and shepherding actions, Defra to give allowances for supplementary feeding within moorland options and moorland stocking actions to be based on an average stocking density rather than a maximum rate.