The government of new British Prime Minister Keir Starner has ordered all departments to make hundreds of millions more in cuts, including from the agricultural sector. According to Starner, leader of the Labour Party, the move is necessary because his previous Conservative predecessors saddled the United Kingdom with financial and economic chaos.
One of the most striking measures is the planned £100 million cut to nature-friendly farming projects, which are funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). The agriculture budget was originally set to be £2.4 billion a year, but this figure is expected to be reduced due to the current economic circumstances.
A significant proportion of British farmers are concerned about the impact of these cuts on environmentally friendly farming practices. Many of these projects are aimed at boosting biodiversity, improving soil health and reducing the impact of farming on the environment. The decision to cut these projects is seen by many as a step backwards for the sustainable farming initiatives that have been promoted in recent years.
The current state of affairs in British farming is already worrying. The sector is facing declining profit margins, largely due to the loss of cheap labour from Eastern Europe since Brexit. Previously, many British farmers were able to rely on temporary seasonal workers from countries such as Poland and Romania, but since leaving the European Union, this flow of labour has largely dried up.
This has left farmers facing labour shortages, which has delayed harvests and production. In addition, export opportunities to the EU countries, where a large proportion of British agricultural products were destined, have been significantly hampered by new import duties and customs procedures.
This economic stagnation and decline in the agricultural sector are largely attributed to Brexit. The left-wing Labour leaders, despite much protest, were not against it either. Although a majority of Britons now regret their pro-Brexit referendum, Prime Minister Starner has no intention of reversing it.
Previous promises to provide farmers with additional support seem to be fading in the current economic crisis. During the Brexit campaign, farmers were promised that they would receive no less than under the EU, but in practice the government is struggling to deliver on these promises. The planned cuts to the agricultural budget, combined with the challenges posed by Brexit, are making it increasingly difficult for many farmers to survive.