Prior to the budget announcement, The Guardian published an interview with Secretary of State, Steve Reed where they state that he said farmers and conservationists will have to “learn to do more with less” following speculation about deep budget cuts to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
This is a misrepresentation of Steve Reed’s comments and takes what he said out of context.
In the interview, the Secretary of State commented that it was going to be a difficult budget and that generally, across the board, as an economy and Government we would need to do more with less through reform. He was not explicitly referencing farmers, counter to the headline.
The budget has now been announced and speculation about cuts to the farming and nature budget multiple times in the Guardian has been shown to be inaccurate and poorly sourced.
As outlined in the budget, we have protected our farming budget at £2.4 billion in 2025/26. This is the largest ever budget directed at sustainable food production and nature’s recovery in our country’s history, which will ensure momentum on the path to a more resilient and sustainable farming sector.
We will immediately pay out £60 million through the Farming Recovery Fund to support farmers affected by unprecedented extreme wet weather last winter.
After years of underinvestment, we’re also committing £208 million to transform the government’s biosecurity facilities at Weybridge – a vital defence against disease threats which can threaten our farming industry, food security and human health.
This builds on the positive steps the government has already taken including protecting farmers from being undercut by low welfare and low standards in trade deals, seeking a new veterinary agreement with the European Union to cut red tape at our borders and get British food exports moving again and using the government’s purchasing power to back British produce.
Farming and food security are the foundations of a healthy and resilient economy and environment. This government’s commitment to farmers and the vital role they play to feed our nation remains steadfast.
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