Farmers to receive £3b cash boost for 2020
6th January 2020
Chancellor Sajid Javid has confirmed just under £3 billion of funding for farmers and rural communities in 2020, to provide support after Brexit. The UK is set to leave the
Chancellor Sajid Javid has confirmed just under £3 billion of funding for farmers and rural communities in 2020, to provide support after Brexit.
The UK is set to leave the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Direct Payments Scheme, which supports farmers across Europe with subsidies, in 2020. It will be replaced with a new system based on public money for public goods.
This cash boost from the government will allow funding for Direct Payments in 2020 to continue at the same rate as in 2019, supplementing the remaining EU funding that farmers will receive for development projects until 2023 at the latest.
It will be available from late 2020, as in previous years and totals £2.852 billion, topping up the remaining EU funding and matching the total funding for Direct Payment available for 2019.
Funding will be spread across two financial years.
Environment secretary Theresa Villiers, said: “Outside the EU we will have a simpler, fairer funding system – one that rewards farmers for enhancing our environment and safeguarding our high animal welfare standards.
“We are committed to making sure our rural communities feel the benefits of Brexit and will ensure our farmers get a better deal.”
Announcing the news, HM Treasury said it will guarantee the current annual budget to farmers in every year of the parliament.
A further £206.6 million has been awarded since Spending Round to support the farming sector in Scotland and Wales.
