Plans to support farming over the next quarter century have been unveiled by the government with the publication of the Farming Roadmap 2050: Growing England’s Future.
Hailed by the government as the most ambitious long-term commitment to the sector since the second world war, the plan comes as a direct response to the independent Farming Profitability Review created by Baroness Minette Batters and aims to provide the family community with clarity beyond the next harvest.
Russell Reeves, Partner in Thrings’ Agriculture team, takes a look at the roadmap, what it includes and what farmers should do to prepare.
What's in the roadmap?
Building on the review by Baroness Batters – keynote speaker at our 2025 Agriculture Seminar – and its 57 recommendations on how English farming can be supported to become financially stronger and more resilient, the roadmap features a range of measures directed at the rural sector.
- Farming Innovation Programme – An extra £53million has been committed to the existing programme, with a focus on robotics, soil health and water management – areas where technology could meaningfully cut costs and improve outputs.
- Farmer Collaboration Fund – The creation of a new £30million fund, opening this summer, which is aimed at groups of farmers wanting to pool resources, share knowledge and build joint ventures. Co-operatives and collective purchasing models are specifically highlighted as ways to lower input costs and strengthen market position.
- Fairer supply chains – Supply chain fair dealing regulations are being extended to cover egg producers and growers of fresh produce, giving them legal protection against unfair contract terms and practices. The Groceries Code Adjudicator is also moving to Defra, intended to create a more joined-up approach to policing the food supply chain.
- Seasonal Worker visas – These will continue until at least 2030 to provide some stability for the horticulture sector, which has struggled with labour availability since Brexit.
- SFI26 and environmental payments – The new Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI26) application window opens this month. Environmental Land Management schemes will be refined over time, with the government signalling that payments will become more targeted and that mitigation and conversion payments will eventually be phased out. Long-term payments for genuine environmental outcomes – habitat creation and the like – will remain.
- Planning and infrastructure – The government is also currently reviewing the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), with proposals on the table to make it more supportive of the infrastructure farmers need on their land.
- A single digital farming account – Multiple government services are also set to be consolidated into one digital farming account, reducing administrative burden.
The bigger picture
The roadmap also commits to reviewing how farming's economic contribution is measured. The current figure – 0.6% of gross value added – captures only primary agricultural activity and ignores the wider food supply chain but work with the Office for National Statistics aims to develop a more complete picture.
What you can do now
The roadmap offers genuine opportunities but, as ever, the devil will be in the detail. It would be recommended that farmers and rural landowners consider the following:
- Review your SFI position now. With SFI26 opening this month, understand what options are available to you and how they fit your business.
- Consider collaboration structures carefully. The new Collaboration Fund is an opportunity, but joint ventures and co-operatives need the right legal foundations to work well and protect everyone involved.
- Check your supply chain contracts. New protections for egg and fresh produce growers are coming – now is a good time to review your existing arrangements and understand your rights.
- Plan ahead on planning. If you have infrastructure projects in mind, watch the NPPF consultation closely and take advice early.
- Think about succession. Long-term policy stability, if it materialises, changes the case for investing in and passing on your business. Make sure your succession planning reflects that.
Thrings’ Agriculture team is one of the largest of its kind in the UK with decades of experience in successfully supporting its farming and landowner clients to achieve their aims and the potential for their business. Its lawyers have been chosen by the NFU to act for its members in more countries than any other firm.
Find out more about how we support farmers, food producers and rural communities on our Information for Farmers page.
