Devon County Council has written two letters to Government ministers calling for greater support for farmers, warning that many farming businesses are facing mounting pressures and growing uncertainty.
In letters sent this week, the council’s Cabinet Member for Rural Affairs, Councillor Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin, has written to the Chancellor and to DEFRA ministers urging them to increase farming funding, reopen the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), and provide clearer support for farmers facing drought, disease outbreaks and rising costs.
Writing to the Chancellor ahead of the Government’s October Budget, Councillor Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin called for a significant increase in the farming budget, full funding for the Sustainable Farming Incentive, and a full reversal of changes to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief.
She argued that stronger support is needed to protect food security, rural economies and the environment.
In a separate letter to DEFRA ministers, she criticised the rollout of the latest Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme, arguing that it effectively became a race for funding after applications opened and the available budget was allocated within hours.
The letter calls on Government to bring forward a new SFI scheme as soon as possible, available to all farms, to keep it permanently open for applications, remove barriers that exclude smaller farms, and commit to a long-term increase in farming funding.
The council’s letters highlight the enormous challenges currently facing farmers, including rising production costs, prolonged drought, bluetongue disease, volatile markets and uncertainty around future agricultural support.
Councillor Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin said:
“Farmers across Devon are doing everything society asks of them.
“They are producing high quality, high welfare food, caring for the environment, improving biodiversity, supporting rural communities and helping tackle climate change. But many are now under enormous pressure and are struggling to plan for the future.
“The extraordinary demand for the Sustainable Farming Incentive showed that farmers want to be part of the solution.
“What it also showed is that the funding available simply isn’t enough.
“Farmers should not be forced into a race against the clock to secure support.
“Ministers regularly say that food security is national security. I agree. But those words must now be backed by action.
“We need a farming budget that reflects the importance of agriculture to this country, a Sustainable Farming Incentive that is open and accessible to all farms, and long-term confidence that allows farming businesses to invest and grow.”
The letters, co-signed by Councillor Simon Clist, argue that farming is critical not only to food production but also to the health of rural economies, the stewardship of the countryside and the resilience of the UK’s food supply.
They warn that without more Government support, further farming businesses could be at risk at a time when food security becomes increasingly important.
The council is urging Government to increase farming investment in the Budget, reopen and reform the Sustainable Farming Incentive, and provide the long-term certainty needed for farmers to continue producing food while delivering environmental benefits.