The Farmers Mart Aug-Sep 2019 - Issue 64 | Page 5

FARM NEWS 5 • AUG/SEP 2019 NEW FARMERS AND NEW SMALL FARMS CAN KICK-START AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION BREXIT vote offers chance for farming to become more diverse and environmentally resilient, say countryside campaigners A new report released by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) argues that farming in England needs to become more diverse to prove environmentally resilient and publicly accessible over the coming years . The New model farming paper argues that a more diverse sector - in demographics, farm size and 69945 - BelmontRegencyLtd - HALF.pdf 1 production – would forge a more resilient future that offers rewards beyond food: beautiful landscapes, clean water, abundant wildlife, better flood management and 04/04/2018 14:29:21 improved carbon storage. It also argues that a post-Brexit settle- ment along these lines would make clearer the public benefits of huge public investment in farming. The paper suggests that Government should attempt to reverse narrow trends of industrialisation and short-term efficiency that have long inflicted damage on vital natural assets - from landscapes and wildlife to soils and water. Damage to soil is estimated to cost £1.2 billion a year, while populations of farmland birds in England have more than halved in the past 40 years. To arrest this decline in diversity across the sector, CPRE argues that Government should address the bias in policy towards larger farms through the tapering of public funding to benefit smaller farmers. It is currently thought that around 80% of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payment goes to the 20% largest businesses. With 34,000 fewer farms in the UK than there were a decade ago, CPRE also suggests that more land should be made avail- able to new groups of farmers and communities. FARM Sample Comprehensive Premiums from: Pickups, vans and lorries can be added to fleet policies If you want us to search for the most competitive rates, contact us for a quotation – Hundreds of Farmers have benefited from savings. C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Value: £7,000 On Fleet: £122.52 Value: £15,000 On Fleet: £231.18 Trailers and implements included cover @BelmontRegency from: £175.00 Comprehensive FINANCIAL ADVICE Our advisers can provide advice on all the services shown below Leek Farmer reduced premiums from £1,357 to £941 Chester Farmer reduced premiums from £5,100 to £3,812 Address: Victoria House, 24-28 St Peter’s Churchyard, Derby, Derbyshire DE1 1NN ::   MOTOR : : TRACTORS THE FARMER’S INSURANCE BROKER SINCE 1982 T H E FA R M E R ’ S I N S U R A N C E B R O K E R Since 1982 t: (01332) 362367 e: [email protected] www.belmontregency.com Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority @BelmontRegency