‘Upland farming must prosper in post-Brexit UK’

SUPPORT for the agriculture sector in post-Brexit Britain must be delivered in a way that allows farming in the uplands to thrive. Just how that could happen will be the subject of a seminar at one of the biggest sheep events in the region which will be held next month.
North Sheep 2017, organised by the National Sheep Association (NSA), takes place at West Shields Farm, Tow Law, on Wednesday, June 7.
Among a host of demonstrations, workshops and other attractions will be a series of discussions, one of which looks at balancing upland farming and the environment.
It will be chaired by Eddie Eastham, Northern chairman of the NSA.
A former contract shepherd who went on to run sheep across 4,000 tenanted acres above Haweswater, Mr Eastham is well placed to lead the session.
“It is obvious uplands need support if farming is to continue,” he says.
“From a NSA policy point of view, we acknowledge there are a lot of different demands on the uplands that have to be recognised.
“Farming has to fit in with those demands. I think it is possible but it has to be done in a way that allows farmers to continue to farm.”
Mr Eastham adds: “There are going to be environmental schemes. They are going to be essential. A critical aspect is that they are formulated in a way that farmers have some involvement with them.”
He says it is vital that when it comes to detailed Brexit negotiations, trade deals and support for agriculture are dealt with separately.
“While we would like to influence trade deals, we are less likely to have any influence – although we would like to think we could have.
“When it comes to farm support, that’s where we do have a blank sheet. Unfortunately, there are many other organisations as well as us that wish to fill that sheet.”
He adds: “We can guess about the way things will go. We have had a few hints and it is fairly clear that the single farm payment as we know it will be phased out, ideally over as period of years to cushion the blow.”
It is with these issues in mind that the seminar North Sheep 2017 was developed – although due to the general election on June 8, a speaker from Defra has been forced to withdraw from the panel.
“As with all farming organisations, some routine work has had to be sidelined because of the ‘B’ word,” says Mr Eastham.
“Brexit has the potential to be both a great opportunity or a complete nightmare. There will be opportunities and this is where we are going to have to make the best of them.
“It is obvious from what’s happening, not just in farming but nationally, there is going to be a lot of ups and downs in the negotiation before we get started.”
And there’s much more Brexit as far as agriculture is concerned than how trade deals and farm support will function in future.
“A lot of farmers may think we can get rid of a lot of EU rules and regulations but the  great repeal bill will bring them en bloc,” says Mr Eastham.
“We will need to keep the regulations broadly as we have to meet export demands. We would never be able to export anything to Europe if we did not maintain EU standards.
“It’s going to be a slow process but it’s up to farming organisations to identify regulations they don’t think should be in place.”
Succession planning, migrant workers and research and development post-Brexit are other areas which will have to be tackled.
Mr Eastham suggests some funds should be targeted at encouraging a younger generation into farming.
“You can’t buy farms and just put young people on them but you can to things which will help, such as people paid to mentor young farmers.”
Start up grants, low interest loans and a relaxation of planning laws are other areas that could be used to benefit younger farmers, while the issue of farm business tenancies should be addressed, he says.
“In the last five years, I have seen a lot of young people with a ten year agreement coming to an end and the land owners has seen it as an opportunity to divide the farm up by removing the tenant and selling land off.
“With hill farms you are looking at a long term business. From a hill farming point of view, we want to look at a minimum of 15 years.
“For a couple in their 20s, that is not long enough but it is what is going to be realistic.”
Mr Eastham says he had a lifetime tenancy in Haweswater, which put him in a secure position.
“But I have seen a lot of people who have not been. There is a period of worry.”
The issue of migrant workers may seem remote to hill farmers in the dale, but here is food for thought.
“In the meat processing industry, more than 50 per cent of staff are migrant workers, so they are important to the sheep sector.
“Unless there is a robust visa system in place, there are going to be difficulties.”
As far as R&D is concerned, it’s a simple argument.
Mr Eastham says: “If we are going to have to cope with less support, we can’t get away from the fact we need to be doing things better.”
Balancing Upland Farming and the Environment is one of four seminars at North Sheep 2017. For more details go to www.nationalsheep.org .uk