The National Farmers Union (NFU) president has voiced concerns over Defra’s handling of its agricultural budget, which was underspent by £358m over three years.
- The NFU describes this financial oversight as a significant blow to farmers during a time of income instability.
- The Basic Payment Scheme was discontinued in 2023, but replacement schemes remain incomplete, leaving potential funds unused.
- NFU urges the government to allocate the unspent budget to support the struggling farming sector.
- The new Defra secretary is urged to ensure future budgets support necessary agricultural investments.
The National Farmers Union (NFU) president, Tom Bradshaw, has raised alarms regarding the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ (Defra) underspending of its agricultural budget, which amounted to £358m over a span of three years. Bradshaw has strongly criticised this financial management, calling it a ‘kick in the teeth’ for farmers who are already navigating uncertain economic conditions.
This revelation comes as the NFU continues to advocate for increased financial backing to aid the agricultural industry. Despite the termination of the Basic Payment Scheme in 2023, initiatives intended to replace this funding have not yet been finalised, leaving a significant portion of the funds ‘sat gathering dust’, according to the NFU.
Bradshaw emphasised that the lack of spending did not stem from an absence of need. The union has repeatedly highlighted the necessity for new financial schemes to be operational before cuts to the Basic Payment Scheme commenced, in order to prevent such financial gaps.
The NFU is urging the government to carry forward the unspent funds so they may be utilised as originally intended, providing crucial support to farmers. The need for this reallocation of funds is heightened by the recent appointment of Steve Reed as the new Defra secretary, with whom Bradshaw has discussed the immediate actions required to enable the British agricultural sector to prosper.
Bradshaw reiterated that the government’s new approach should be ‘underpinned by a budget that will enable the necessary investment’. This underscores the NFU’s call for a long-term, well-financed strategy to bolster the UK’s farming landscape.
The NFU calls for decisive government action to resolve budget issues and sustain the UK agricultural sector.
