Farming new deal: 'We've heard a lot of this before'

A Derbyshire farmer has said she "cautiously welcomes" a plan by the government to improve morale in the agricultural sector.

Ministers said they want to protect farmers from being undercut in trade deals and use the government's purchasing power to "back British produce".

They also want to set up a new infrastructure body to speed up private investment in rural areas, such as broadband and flood defences.

Amy Wheelton from Walton-on-Trent told the BBC the "devil will be in the detail" but that farmers have "heard a lot of this before".

Figures collated by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) suggested 14% were considering leaving farming altogether in the next three to five years.

In the same survey, a quarter said they planned to reduce the size of their operation.

Ms Wheelton said extreme weather was having a big impact.

She lost half of her winter wheat crop and had to fork out to clear flood debris on her land after the "wettest winter ever".

She agreed with the Government's assessment that morale in the sector was extremely low.

On the wider plan itself, she said: "I cautiously welcome it but if I’m honest, we have heard a lot of it before.

"You’ve got a government that’s saying they’re going to build all over the countryside – we’re going to put more houses on it.

“Then you’ve got somebody saying, yes, we want to support British agriculture. But land is finite, you can’t do it all.

"So the devil will be in the detail."

But Ms Wheelton said there also needed to be a bigger focus on rural crime.

"There may not be hundreds of reports but when they hit it’s organised crime - gangs," she said.

"If you drive round the countryside now, everyone’s installed electric gates and lock themselves in at night and that adds to the loneliness.

"You'd be able to pop round for a cup of tea with your neighbours on other farms but that doesn't happen easily anymore."

The National Farmers' Union (NFU) said the new deal for farmers sets out "positive intentions" but that there is a "lot of work to do".

Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed said: “Confidence amongst farmers is extremely low.

“The new government will restore stability and confidence in the sector introducing a new deal for farmers to boost rural economic growth and strengthen food security alongside nature's recovery.

“The work of change has now begun.”

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