Higher Level Stewardship payment rates to rise in lobbying win for CLA

Higher Level Stewardship payment rates are to rise, in a lobbying win for the CLA, Defra has announced.

In a speech today, Steve Reed said new reforms would make farming more profitable, adding: "I will consider my time as Secretary of State a failure if I do not improve profitability for farmers across the country."

Several measures have been announced, including:

• An increase in Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) payment rates across a range of options from this year
• A British food summit in ‘early summer’ hosted by the PM
• Resume capital grants this summer, but with new caps and controls
• Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) programme to be extended by a year, to 2026, but with no set budget yet.
• Extending the Seasonal Worker visa route for five more years
• New requirements for government catering contracts to favour high-quality, high-welfare products from local farms and producers, with more UK food used in schools, hospitals and prisons.

CLA President Victoria Vyvyan said: “The CLA has been calling for an increase in Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) payment rates across a range of options, so this is a welcome announcement and will boost thousands of agreement holders.

“It is also pleasing to see continuity of schemes such as Farming in Protected Landscapes, which the CLA has long-championed and has been well-received by farmers, though it lacks the crucial detail of the size of the funding pot.

“Under the pressure of government's inheritance tax changes it will be hard for farms to take advantage of the opportunity to supply schools, hospitals and prisons.

“We also welcome another window of the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) this spring, and hope the reopening of the capital grants scheme later this year will help to restore some confidence in the system after last year’s frustrations.”

Stay tuned for further analysis from the CLA.