News in brief: October 2022

What’s going on in the rural industry in October 2022?

After one of the earliest and fastest harvests many farmers will have ever experienced, there has been a long gap to fill before cereal crops are drilled. During that time, there has been plenty else going on – a new Prime Minister, the passing of Queen Elizabeth II just two days later, and a turbulent budget (or mini budget, as it is known). This has ensured that September 2022 is a month not many of us will forget in a hurry. 

What will new PM Truss deliver for landowners?  

Former Defra Secretary Liz Truss officially took up residence in Number 10 on 6 September and no sooner had she sat down at her desk to tackle her overflowing in-tray than she found herself presiding over a country in mourning. Somewhere in between the grief and ritual of the following 10 days, her team managed to draw up a mini budget that supposedly heralded a “new approach for a new era.” In a round of radio interviews she was asked about her views on food and farming, to which she said she was soon announcing a package to help food producers and farmers to “deliver more for people, as well as reduce the red tape on farms.” 

And what about the opposition? 

 The mini-budget fell just two days before the start of the Labour Party Conference. At the time of writing, Labour has a 33-point lead of the Conservatives – thought to be the biggest poll lead held by a political party since the late 1990s. Neither Keir Starmer nor shadow Defra Secretary Jim McMahon chose to mention farming in either of their speeches, but the former did focus heavily on economic growth based around sustainable energy. He announced his plans for Great British Energy, a publicly-owned company to invest in domestic green power. 

First ever Welsh Agricultural Bill 

The first ever agricultural bill for the Welsh farming industry was laid before Senedd on 26 September. The ground-breaking piece of legislation aims to support sustainable food production while simultaneously preserving the Welsh countryside, culture and language. Minister for Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths said: "These are difficult and challenging times for our farmers. Climate change, rising costs, new trade deals and the war in Ukraine, are just some of the issues they face. This Bill provides a framework on which all future agricultural support will be delivered and outlines how we can keep farmers on the land, produce food sustainably and deal with the climate emergency." 

Will ELM schemes be scrapped?  

Hares were set running over Twitter conspiracy theories surrounding the government’s ELM scheme and supposed plans to water it down or scrap it entirely. Although the government has denied it will be getting rid of the scheme, it has confirmed it is conducting a review of agricultural policy now that Liz Truss has taken over as PM. A blog written by Defra read: "In light of the pressures farmers are facing as a result of the current global economic situation, including spikes in input costs, it’s only right that we look at how best to deliver the schemes to see where and how improvements can be made.” 

Drought pressure remains high  

The National Drought Group (NDG) has set out further action as nearly half of reservoirs remain “exceptionally low.” Senior decision makers from the Environment Agency, government and water firms say that, despite recent rainfall, most areas across England are still in drought conditions. 

Although essential supplies of water remain safe, and many areas of England have experienced rainfall in recent weeks, reservoirs continue to be at lower levels than usual. 

The NDG said September rainfall has had a “limited positive impact” on water levels, after six months of below average rainfall.