NFU Deputy President David Exwood has met Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs Daniel Zeichner and Farming and Countryside Director Janet Hughes in the uplands to highlight the approach needed to ensure the Environmental Land Management schemes (ELMs) succeed in the hills. They also discussed Defra’s vision for the future of the uplands.

The meeting, which took place on NFU member Helen Drinkall’s farm, gave the Defra team the opportunity to see the realities of farming in the uplands and the current barriers of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) for upland businesses.

NFU Deputy President David Exwood said: “It was a great opportunity to have the Minister and Defra Director out on farm in Lancashire. They saw for themselves the vital role upland farmers play in producing food while also being stewards of some of the country’s most cherished landscapes.

“For ELMs to be a success it has got to work for all farm businesses, including those in the uplands. While NFU campaigning has led to positive increases in the number of options available for upland farmers under SFI, there still remains challenges about how hill farming businesses will be profitable while working to the income forgone model. 

“We need to give upland farmers confidence and certainty by seeing a clear strategy from Defra on its vision for the future of the uplands. The creation of an uplands working group is also key to ensuring upland businesses are part of the solution to Defra’s environmental ambitions.”