NFU warns hill farms need long-term backing to protect uplands

England’s upland farmers are being held back by short-term policy, falling support payments and uncertainty over environmental schemes, the NFU has warned.

The warning comes in the union’s submission to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee (EFRA), which is gathering evidence on the future of England’s uplands.

Upland farms often operate in some of the most challenging conditions in English agriculture, with steep land, exposed weather, lower productivity and limited options to diversify.

The NFU argues that these businesses are central to livestock production, landscape management and rural communities, but need policy support that reflects those pressures.

The union said resilient and profitable farm businesses were vital to the future of some of the country’s most iconic landscapes.

It warned that many hill farmers, including tenant farmers, were unable to achieve their full potential because of a lack of support and long-term thinking.

The NFU said tenant farmers can face particular barriers when it comes to accessing schemes or making long-term decisions about land management.

It said future policy must reflect the practical and economic realities of these businesses, rather than imposing top-down approaches that do not work on the ground.

The union said the rapid decline in direct payments, uncertainty around agri-environment schemes and rising fuel and fertiliser costs were putting pressure on upland businesses.

The warning comes as farmers continue to adjust to the post-Brexit shift away from direct support payments towards Environmental Land Management schemes, which pay farmers for delivering environmental benefits.

The NFU said the level of support available did not match what hill farmers were being asked to deliver on food security, nature recovery and environmental management.

NFU Vice-president Robyn Munt said: "Upland farmers are the custodians of some of our most cherished landscapes, forming the backbone of rural communities, national livestock systems and delivering a wide range of public goods."

She said farmers in the uplands had strong ambitions to produce sustainable, high-quality British food while restoring nature and boosting biodiversity.

However, the NFU said those ambitions were being limited by short-term policy decisions and a lack of long-term funding certainty.

Ms Munt said: "For too long, our hill farmers have been held back by short-term, top-down policy implementation and a distinct lack of long-term funding certainty."

The union is calling for longer-term funding certainty, fairer access to Environmental Land Management schemes and closer partnership between government, agencies and hill farmers when designing future policy.

It said government and its agencies must work with upland farmers to ensure land management decisions reflect the reality of running farm businesses in hill areas.

The NFU said this was particularly important where farm businesses were balancing livestock production with environmental delivery, public access, landscape management and rural employment.

Ms Munt said: "Food production and environmental management must work hand-in-hand."

She said policy frameworks should help build resilience and profitability into upland farming businesses while protecting the landscapes they manage.

The NFU said upland farms could play a bigger role in food security, climate mitigation and nature recovery if they were given the right backing.

Ms Munt added: "Upland farmers possess a strong appetite to do more for food security, climate mitigation, and nature recovery."

"If we value our hills, lets provide the necessary support and investment needed in order to safeguard these family farming businesses for generations to come."

The union warned that without profitable farm businesses, the landscapes, livestock systems and rural communities linked to the uplands would become harder to sustain.

It said the future of England’s uplands will depend on whether government policy can support family farms while also delivering for food security, nature recovery and climate goals.

The submission builds on the NFU’s uplands report published last year, The Uplands: A vision for prosperity stewardship and resilience.