Farmers told to stop waiting for Defra rescue

Farmers must stop looking to government for rescue and take greater control of their own business future, a leading rural adviser has warned.

Jeremy Moody, secretary and adviser to the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers, said British farming was entering a major period of change after decades of market management, subsidy support and political intervention.

He said Defra funding should no longer be seen as the answer to the pressures facing farm businesses.

“You have to be the master of your own destiny,” Mr Moody said.

“Use technology to take the grunt out of what you do, so you can focus properly on managing your business.”

Mr Moody said the end of the Common Agricultural Policy and the move away from direct support had exposed farmers to sharper commercial realities.

“The Common Agricultural Policy was a social security system that paid people to occupy land that other people could farm better,” he said.

“We’ve had 40 years of pent-up change and that dam is breaking this year.”

He said the transition needed to be managed “humanely”, with land able to move to those who could make best use of it.

While he argued that government had stepped back from agricultural and environmental policy, Mr Moody said there were still areas where ministers could help.

These included targeted tax reliefs, easier planning rules and policies that make business growth and investment simpler.

He also warned that tighter margins and rural housing policy were making it harder to rent out properties or develop new homes, adding further pressure on rural communities.

On the Sustainable Farming Incentive, Mr Moody said the scheme should be viewed as a business option rather than a subsidy.

“SFI shouldn’t be seen as a subsidy – it’s an option,” he said.

However, he warned that farmers were increasingly being asked to deliver more while receiving less.

Mr Moody said the most successful farm businesses would be those that adapt, improve productivity and build resilience.

He added that the arable sector was under particular pressure and needed to rebuild productivity after years of reliance on subsidies.

His message to government was: “Make doing business easier.”