The UK government set out plans to deliver a better, fairer farming system in England, with the roadmap outlining changes that will come into force over a 7-year period to help farmers adapt as well as plan for the future.

No longer bound by the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the roadmap aims to introduce a new system tailored in the interests of English farmers.

The key changes include:

• Introduction of the Environmental Land Management scheme

• Investing in boosting animal health and welfare as part of the sustainable farming approach.

• Direct Payments will be reduced fairly, beginning from the 2021 Basic Payment Scheme year

• Launch of a Farming Investment Fund to support innovation and productivity

“Simplifying and improving existing schemes and their application processes further from January 2021 to reduce the burden on farmers, and we will take a modern approach to regulation, cutting unnecessary red tape for farmers and working together with industry to design a more targeted regulatory system,” said the government.