The new Defra Secretary Thérèse Coffey has been told to 'work quickly' to improve the government’s flagship Environmental Land Management Schemes (ELMS).
The Country Land and Business Association (CLA), which represents 28,000 rural firms and farmers, has urged Dr Coffey to focus on the post-Brexit system of support.
The body said many farmers and landowners were 'yet to be convinced' the schemes were right for their business.
This was not helped by 'very poor communication' from ministers about their intentions for the schemes through the 'recent political chaos'.
Dr Coffey was appointed the new Environment Secretary by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, replacing Ranil Jayawardena who had been in the role for just 48 days.
While the CLA said it 'warmly welcomes' her to the new role, it called on her to "give farmers the confidence they desperately need".
The ELMS is the most significant change to UK farming and land management in over five decades, replacing the EU's common agricultural policy (CAP).
The new system is made up of three payment schemes - the sustainable farming incentive (SFI), local nature recovery and landscape recovery.
Under these, farmers will receive payment for taking actions which generate environmental benefits, such as improving grasslands or soils.
But Mark Tufnell, president of CLA, said the new Environment Secretary must "work quickly to improve the schemes".
This includes fast-tracking key elements of SFI standards, as well as announcing measures for 2023 and beyond.
"This will give farmers the confidence they desperately need that ELM can help them feed the nation as well as help to improve the natural environment," he said.
The previous government created a new role of Minister of Rural Economic Growth, a move Mr Tufnell said recognised the "enormous economic potential of rural businesses".
He added that it was vital for this role to be maintained, as it gave the government "a laser-like focus on removing the many barriers to starting and growing a business in rural communities.”
Mr Tufnell added: "We warmly welcome Dr Thérèse Coffey to her new role, in a department with which she is already well familiar having served there in 2016 - 2019."
