Pig World
  • News
      • Animal Health
      • Breeding
      • Business
      • Environment
      • EU
      • Food Safety
      • Housing
      • Marketing
      • NPA
      • National Pig Awards
      • New Products
      • Nutrition
      • People
      • Pig Fair
      • Politics
      • Training & Education
      • Welfare
  • Features
    • Animal Health
    • Breeding
    • Environment
    • Farm Visits
    • Herd Recording
    • Housing
    • Marketing
    • Nutrition
    • Products
    • Training
  • Comment
    • AHDB Pork
    • Chris Fogden
    • Dennis Bridgeford
    • Peter Crichton
    • Red Robin
    • Veterinary View
    • Zoe Davies, NPA
  • Numbers
  • Pig Prices
  • Magazines
    • June 2025
    • 2025 Innovation supplement
    • May 2025
    • April 2025
    • March 2025
    • 2025 Buildings supplement
    • February 2025
    • 2025 Nutrition Supplement
    • January 2025
    • December 2024
    • November 2024
    • 2025 National Pig Awards supplement
    • October 2024
    • September 2024
    • August 2024
    • 2024 Pig Health supplement
    • July 2024
    • June 2024
    • 2024 Innovation supplement
    • 2024 Pig & Poultry Fair Guide
    • May 2024
    • April 2024
    • 2024 Buildings Supplement
    • March 2024
    • 2024 Pig Nutrition supplement
    • February 2024
    • January 2024
    • December 2023
    • November 2023
    • 2023 National Pig Awards supplement
    • October 2023
    • September 2023
    • Health Supplement
  • Suppliers
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Classified
  • Events
    • Pigs Tomorrow
    • National Pig Awards
Podcast
Pig WorldPig World
  • News
      • Animal Health
      • Breeding
      • Business
      • Environment
      • EU
      • Food Safety
      • Housing
      • Marketing
      • NPA
      • National Pig Awards
      • New Products
      • Nutrition
      • People
      • Pig Fair
      • Politics
      • Training & Education
      • Welfare
  • Features
    • Animal Health
    • Breeding
    • Environment
    • Farm Visits
    • Herd Recording
    • Housing
    • Marketing
    • Nutrition
    • Products
    • Training
  • Comment
    • AHDB Pork
    • Chris Fogden
    • Dennis Bridgeford
    • Peter Crichton
    • Red Robin
    • Veterinary View
    • Zoe Davies, NPA
  • Numbers
  • Pig Prices
  • Magazines
    1. June 2025
    2. 2025 Innovation supplement
    3. May 2025
    4. April 2025
    5. March 2025
    6. 2025 Buildings supplement
    7. February 2025
    8. 2025 Nutrition Supplement
    9. January 2025
    10. December 2024
    11. November 2024
    12. 2025 National Pig Awards supplement
    13. October 2024
    14. September 2024
    15. August 2024
    16. 2024 Pig Health supplement
    17. July 2024
    18. June 2024
    19. 2024 Innovation supplement
    20. 2024 Pig & Poultry Fair Guide
    21. May 2024
    22. April 2024
    23. 2024 Buildings Supplement
    24. March 2024
    25. 2024 Pig Nutrition supplement
    26. February 2024
    27. January 2024
    28. December 2023
    29. November 2023
    30. 2023 National Pig Awards supplement
    31. October 2023
    32. September 2023
    33. Health Supplement
    Featured

    June 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    June 4, 2025
    Recent

    June 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    June 4, 2025

    2025 Innovation supplement now available

    June 4, 2025

    May 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    May 1, 2025
  • Suppliers
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Classified
  • Events
    • Pigs Tomorrow
    • National Pig Awards
LinkedIn X (Twitter)
Pig World
Brexit

Revised Agriculture Bill sets out new direction for farming 

Alistair DriverBy Alistair DriverJanuary 16, 20204 Mins Read
LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email

Defra Secretary Theresa Villiers has today reintroduced the Agriculture Bill, setting out a new path for domestic agriculture policy in England after we leave the EU.

The big focus remains the environment, with a seven-year agricultural transition from the current direct payment regime to a system where farmers receive ‘public money for public goods’, such as better air and water quality, higher animal welfare standards, improved access to the countryside or measures to reduce flooding. There will also be a big focus on soil quality.

Much of this will be delivered through the new Environment Land Management (ELM) scheme, the pilots for which will begin early in the transition period, which will give farmers time to adjust to the new system. The first cuts to direct payments will come in 2021 and be used to fund ELMS pilots.

There is, however, more focus on food in this second iteration of the Bill. Defra said the new Bill champions British food by improving transparency and fairness in the supply chain from farm to fork. By collecting data from across the supply chain, the government will help food producers strengthen their negotiating position at the farm gate and seek a fairer return, the Department said.

Investing in new technology and research to ensure our world-renowned food producers remain competitive and innovative and in the foundations of food production, such as clean air, soils and water, will safeguard our food security, it added.

The Bill will also legally require any UK government to report regularly on food security to Parliament.

Later in the agricultural transition, the government plans to ‘delink’ Direct Payments from the requirement to farm the land, a requirement that currently exists under EU law.

“This will give farmers greater flexibility to plan for their future as these payments will be able to be used by farmers to invest in their business, diversify their activities or help new people enter the sector,” the Department said.

The funding available for Direct Payments for 2020 will be the same as for 2019. For subsequent years, the Government is committed to matching the current budget available to farmers in every year of this Parliament, while phasing out direct payments in favour of rewarding the provision of ‘public goods’.

Mrs Villiers said: “This is one of the most important environmental reforms for many years, rewarding farmers for the work they do to safeguard our environment and helping us meet crucial goals on climate change and protecting nature and biodiversity.

“We will move away from the EU’s bureaucratic Common Agricultural Policy and towards a fairer system which rewards our hard-working farmers for delivering public goods, celebrating their world-leading environmental work and innovative, modern approach to food production.

“We will continue to champion British produce and support farmers to adapt to our new pioneering approach to agriculture through a seven-year transition period in England, ensuring we unleash the potential of our farmers for the future.”

 

What’s new in the Agriculture Bill?

 

  • Food security– a new requirement for the UK government to regularly report on food security to Parliament, demonstrating the importance we place on this subject. The report is likely to cover a range of current issues including global food availability, supply sources, the resilience of the supply chain, household expenditure on food, food safety and consumer confidence in food.
  • Financial assistance monitoring – the Secretary of State will monitor, evaluate and regularly report on our financial assistance schemes.
  • Soil quality – soil is specifically named in the Bill, so the Government can provide financial assistance to farmers for protecting or improving its quality, for example, for soil monitoring programmes and soil health research to support farmers with their decision-making and soil management.
  • An animal traceability service – new powers have out into place allow a service provider to improve the collection and management of information relating to the identification, movement and health of animals.
  • Fertiliser regulation – power to effectively regulate this industry as we leave the EU, including updating the definition of a fertiliser to take account of the latest technological advances.
  • Organics regulation – powers to tailor organics regulation so that it works for UK producers and so we can continue to trade organic produce across the world.
Share. LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Email
Previous ArticleMeat the Victims Activists target Northern Ireland farm
Next Article Agriculture Bill – industry reaction
Alistair Driver

Editor Pig World, group editor Agronomist and Arable Farmer and Farm Contractor. National Pig Association webmaster. Former political editor at Farmers Guardian. Occasional media pundit. Brought up on a Leicestershire farm. Works from a shed in his Oxfordshire garden.

Read Similar Stories

Government pledges to protect UK standards in trade deals

July 1, 2025

Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) closing date approaching

July 1, 2025

Keeping your animals cool in the heatwave

July 1, 2025
Latest News

Government pledges to protect UK standards in trade deals

July 1, 2025

Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) closing date approaching

July 1, 2025

Keeping your animals cool in the heatwave

July 1, 2025
Sponsored Content

THE GATEKEEPER OF RESPIRATORY HEALTH – MYCOPLASMA HYOPNEUMONIAE (M.HYO)

April 30, 2024

Tackle the root cause of PWD with free diagnostic tests

March 1, 2024
Current Pig Industry jobs
  • Experienced Pig Stockperson – Ref 1757 South East England

    • South East England
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
  • Pig Stockperson Farm Worker – Ref 1756 UK

    • United Kingdom
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
  • Assistant Pig Manager – Ref 1755 Oxfordshire

    • Oxfordshire
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
GETTING IN TOUCH
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Meet The Editors
  • About Us
  • Email Newsletters
  • Subscribe
  • Reuse permissions
OUR SOCIAL CHANNELS
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
PARTNER EVENTS
RELATED SITES
  • Farmers Weekly
  • Agronomist & Arable Farmer
  • Farm Contractor
  • National Pig Awards
  • Pigs Tomorrow
  • Poultry News
  • Weekly Tribune
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
© 2024 MA Agriculture Ltd, a Mark Allen Group company

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.