The new legislation will offer continuity for farmers across all four corners of the UK
The new bill ensures farming subsidies are paid for 2020 (Credit: Crown copyright)
The UK Government has introduced a new farm payment bill to provide certainty and continuity for the farmers.
The new legislation will help maintain continuity for farmers across all four corners of the country, in addition to ensuring payment of farming subsidies in 2020.
The Direct Payments to Farmers Bill helps governments across the UK to execute direct payments to farmers
The UK’s Parliament has introduced the Direct Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) (DPLC) Bill to provide government across the UK with powers to administer direct payments to farmers for 2020.
The launch of Farm Payments Bill is following the Chancellor’s recent announcement confirming the same level of funding for direct payments for 2020 similar to 2019.
As a result, the Agriculture Bill will offer a new system of farm support, helping to divert from direct payments in England towards an approach where farmers receive public money for the public goods they produce.
The measures include improving air and water quality, as well as tackling climate change or enhancing animal welfare.
In a statement, a Defra spokesperson said: “Leaving the EU means we can take back control of agricultural policy and fund our own farm payments domestically.
“The Agriculture Bill, which will shortly be returning to the Commons, will see us move towards a new system that rewards farmers for enhancing the environment and producing the food we all enjoy in a sustainable way.
“The legislation we have introduced today enables us to make Direct Payments to farmers for the 2020 scheme year– giving much-welcomed certainty to our farmers and food producers.”
In December last year, the government announced that farmers and land managers started receiving farm support payments for 2019.
In October 2019, the UK Government announced the funding of £22m for farmers in the country to boost productivity through new equipment.
More than 3,600 farmers could benefit from grants between £3,000 and £12,000 to invest in new equipment ranging from livestock monitoring cameras to precision farming technology.