Jonathan, who is also a farmer in the Peak District, demonstrated a strong understanding of the challenges currently facing farmers. He provided valuable insight into how Defra is responding to these pressures and the reasonings behind recent decisions made by Defra.
After setting the scene on how agriculture has evolved over the years, Jonathan outlined a number of key projects Defra is currently working on including:
Of particular interest was the insight into the decision making behind the most recent iteration of SFI. For example, previously legume fallow, winter bird food and herbal leys made up 50% of the total SFI spend and therefore it is hoped that reducing these payment rates will ensure more land can be entered into SFI within the allocated budget.