Kemi Badenoch MP hosted a roundtable alongside the Rural Payments Agency in Ugley Village Hall recently for local farmers and landowners across Chelmsford and Uttlesford.
The Rural Payments Agency (RPA), part of the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), plays a crucial role in administering payments and support schemes for farmers and rural businesses. The roundtable meeting discussed the RPA’s Sustainable Farming Incentive programme, a government scheme that rewards environmental land management.
The event served as an opportunity for farmers to discuss with the RPA any difficulties they have been facing accessing payment schemes and also an opportunity to discuss how these schemes can go further.
The attendees also raised their concerns about several issues, including grain prices; the balance between food production and environmental conservation; and concerns about inflation and the cost of operating their businesses, particularly the purchasing of agricultural machinery.
Commenting, Mrs Badenoch said:
“Local farmers and landowners play an integral part in our local economy.
“This roundtable discussion was an opportunity for them to feedback on Government funding and incentive schemes, and how we can continue to support them.
“Thank you again to all those who attended, including the representatives from the Rural Payments Agency, and local NFU team. There were many important points raised that I’ll be taking to my ministerial colleagues in DEFRA.”
Commenting, Sam Goddard Saffron Walden NFU Branch Chair said:
"We are grateful to Kemi for again bringing together farmers, the RPA and DEFRA officials for the meeting in February.
"At a time when farmers are feeling pressure from all sides, face-to-face discussion of the current challenges felt valuable. It was particularly useful to be able to consider how trade policy, farming policy and creeping environmental regulations are interacting together, and thanks go to Kemi for her engagement."
