Farmer Opinion Tracker for England: October 2022
Updated 10 February 2023
Applies to England
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This report contains estimates from the Farmer Opinion Tracker providing a snapshot of views and opinions towards Defra’s vision for farming at this time. Farmers were asked questions about business planning, relationships with farming organisations and Defra, new schemes and the future of farming.
A time-series comparing the results from each survey from September 2019 to date can be found on GOV.UK as well as a dataset providing a more detailed breakdown of each question’s responses for farm ownership, size, type and region.
Key messages for October 2022
- Farmers on 60% of holdings said that they either fully (6%) or roughly (54%) understand Defra’s vision for farming, a decrease from 66% in April 2022.
- Farmers on 33% of holdings indicated that they are making changes to their farm business and a further 44% said they will need to make changes to their farm business in the next 3 to 5 years.
- Farmers on 81% of holdings said that Defra paying for environmental outcomes will be very (59%) or moderately (22%) important to their business in the future.
- Farmers on 67% of holdings are not at all confident that changes to schemes and regulations will lead to a successful future for farming, an increase from 65% in April 2022.
- Farmers on 44% of holdings feel positive about their future in farming (6% very positive; 38% somewhat positive).
Farmers had the opportunity to share their thoughts on farming (i.e. what was on their mind at the time of the survey). The open text comments analysis in section 2 provides context around the statistics.
Section 1 - Detailed Results
1.1 Vision
Defra is setting out what they think the future for farming would look like. In this vision, England’s farmers improve the health of our environment and animals as part of a sustainable, productive agricultural sector. In October 2022, when asked if they know what Defra’s vision meant for farming, farmers on 60% of holdings said that they either fully (6%) or roughly (54%) understood Defra’s vision (see Figure 1). This is a decrease from 66% in April 2022 (fully understand 9%; roughly understand 57%). A further 36% said they didn’t know but would be interested to know more. Farmers on the remaining 4% of holdings didn’t need to know what the future vision meant for farming.
Figure 1: Proportion of holdings that understand Defra’s vision for farming, April 2021 to October 2022
| Year | Yes, I fully understand Defra’s vision for farming | Yes, I know roughly | No, I don’t know, but would be interested to know more | No, I don’t need to know | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr-21 | 5% | 62% | 29% | 4% | 100% |
| Oct-21 | 7% | 54% | 36% | 3% | 100% |
| Apr-22 | 9% | 57% | 30% | 4% | 100% |
| Oct-22 | 6% | 54% | 36% | 4% | 100% |
1.2 Changes
In 2021, Defra started the transition away from the EU Common Agriculture Policy which will involve changes to the payments farmers receive and the regulations their businesses must follow. Farmers were asked whether they had all the information they needed at this point to help with their business planning (see Figure 2). In October 2022, farmers on 43% of holdings said they had all (6%) or most (37%) of the information they required. This proportion is a decrease from 48% in April 2022 and an increase from 38% in October 2021. In October 2022, a further 20% indicated that they didn’t have any information but knew where they could find it. Farmers on 29% of holdings said they didn’t have any of the information they needed for their business planning and were unsure where to find it. The remaining 8% of all holdings didn’t know if they had all the information they needed.
Figure 2: Proportion of holdings that have the information they need to inform business planning, April 2021 to October 2022
| Year | I have all the information I need | I have most of the information I need | I do not have any information but know where to find | I do not have any information and I don’t know where to find it | I don’t know | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr-21 | 4% | 36% | 19% | 32% | 9% | 100% |
| Oct-21 | 5% | 33% | 24% | 30% | 8% | 100% |
| Apr-22 | 7% | 41% | 19% | 25% | 8% | 100% |
| Oct-22 | 6% | 37% | 20% | 29% | 8% | 100% |
In October 2022, farmers on 33% of holdings said that they are currently making changes to their business. Note that this option was added in the October 2022 survey. Therefore, proportions of responses for this question submitted in previous surveys are not directly comparable to those from the current survey and so are not shown. Farmers on 44% of holdings believe they will need to make changes to their business in the next 3 to 5 years (Figure 3). Approximately 7% of farmers on all holdings indicated that they don’t need to make any changes to their farming business and the remaining 16% don’t know what changes they need to make.
Figure 3: Proportion of holdings that need to make changes to their farm business in the next 3 to 5 years, October 2022
| Year | I am making changes to my business | I will need to make changes to my business | I don’t need to change my business | I don’t know what changes I need to make | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct-22 | 33% | 44% | 7% | 16% | 100% |
Note: This question changed in October 2022 to include the option “I am making changes to my business”. Data collected before the introduction of the additional option cannot be directly compared with data collected after the the additional option was introduced. Therefore, responses for previous surveys are not shown, but can be found in the related dataset.
Farmers who answered that they are either making changes or will need to make changes to their farm business in the next 3 to 5 years were then asked what changes they are making or will need to make (see Figure 4). In October 2022, farmers on 48% of holdings said they would stay farming but diversify their business into non-farming areas. This proportion is an increase from 38% in April 2022. Around 29% of farmers said they will stay farming but increase productivity and a further 28% said they will stay farming and grow the business. Fewer farmers indicated that they would leave farming, as 7% are planning on retiring or passing the farm onto the next generation and 3% would leave farming for other reasons. Farmers on 5% of holdings stated other changes they plan to make to their farm business which included cutting costs and increasing efficiencies.
Figure 4: Changes to farm business, April 2022 to October 2022
| Response | Oct-22 | Apr-22 |
|---|---|---|
| Stay farming but diversify business into non-farming areas | 48% | 38% |
| Stay farming but increase productivity | 29% | 31% |
| Stay farming and grow the business | 28% | 22% |
| Stay farming but change core agricultural enterprises | 20% | 22% |
| Stay farming but reduce the size of the business | 20% | 18% |
| Leave farming (planned retirement or pass onto next generation) | 7% | 9% |
| Other | 5% | 5% |
| Leave farming (exit for other reasons) | 3% | 4% |
Note: Farms could select more than one option.
These proportions varied across farms. Compared to 20% of all holdings, 32% of Pigs & Poultry holdings intend to stay farming but change the core agricultural enterprise in October 2022. Whereas 13% of farmers on Dairy holdings are likely to make this change in the next 3 to 5 years (see Figure 5).
Figure 5: Proportion of holdings that plan to stay farming but change core agricultural enterprises, by farm type (October 2022)
| Category | Oct-22 |
|---|---|
| Pigs & Poultry | 32% |
| Mixed | 28% |
| Other crops | 22% |
| Cereals | 20% |
| Grazing Livestock Lowland | 18% |
| Grazing Livestock LFA | 15% |
| Dairy | 13% |
| All farms | 20% |
Note: Farms could select more than one option.
Farmers in the West Midlands and the South East including London are more likely to stay farming but diversify their business into non-farming areas in the next 3 to 5 years (74% and 70% of holdings, respectively) in October 2022. This option was not as popular for farmers in the North East, with only 20% selecting this option compared to 48% of all holdings (see Figure 6).
Figure 6: Proportion of holdings that plan to stay farming and diversify into non farming areas, by English region (October 2022)
| Category | Oct-22 |
|---|---|
| West Midlands | 74% |
| South East including London | 70% |
| East Midlands | 55% |
| East | 50% |
| South West | 44% |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 44% |
| North West | 22% |
| North East | 20% |
| All farms | 48% |
Note: Farms could select more than one option.
In October 2022, farmers on 28% of all holdings intend to stay farming and grow the business in the coming years, an increase from 22% in April 2022. This proportion varied across farm size, with 39% of larger holdings and 34% of medium holdings selecting this option compared to 22% of small holdings (see Figure 7).
Figure 7: Proportion of holdings that plan to stay farming and grow the business, by farm size (October 2022)
| Category | Oct-22 |
|---|---|
| Large | 39% |
| Medium | 34% |
| Small | 22% |
| All farms | 28% |
Note: Farms could select more than one option.
In October 2022, input price changes was the most commonly selected external factor that led farmers to make changes to their business with farmers on 90% of holdings selecting this option (see Figure 8). This was followed by output price changes (51%), weather / climate change (48%) and food security and supply (26%). The least commonly selected external factor leading farms to make changes to their business was trade agreements with other countries (24%). Comparisons of responses between surveys are not available since this is a new question added in the October 2022 survey.
Figure 8: Changes to farm business due to external factors, October 2022
| Response | Oct-22 |
|---|---|
| Input price changes | 90% |
| Output price changes | 51% |
| Weather / climate change | 48% |
| Food security and supply | 26% |
| Trade agreements with other countries | 24% |
Notes:
-
Farms could select more than one option.
-
This question was added in October 2022 so no time-series data are available.
In October 2022, farmers on 55% of holdings are either very (6%) or somewhat (49%) confident that they can respond to any changes that are needed. This is a decrease from 60% in April 2022 (very confident 8%; somewhat confident 52%). This proportion varies across farm types, as 63% of Cereals holdings are confident that they can make changes compared to 42% of Pigs & Poultry holdings. Farmers on 33% of all holdings are not at all confident they can respond to the changes needed and the remaining 12% are unsure (see Figure 9).
Figure 9: Proportion of holdings that are confident they can respond to changes, by farm type (October 2022)
| Category | Very confident | Somewhat confident | Not at all confident | I don’t know | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cereals | 5% | 58% | 26% | 11% | 100% |
| Dairy | 8% | 55% | 26% | 11% | 100% |
| Mixed | 5% | 55% | 29% | 11% | 100% |
| Other crops | 5% | 54% | 30% | 11% | 100% |
| Grazing Livestock Lowland | 9% | 41% | 38% | 12% | 100% |
| Grazing Livestock LFA | 4% | 40% | 42% | 14% | 100% |
| Pigs & Poultry | 2% | 40% | 46% | 12% | 100% |
| All farms | 6% | 49% | 33% | 12% | 100% |
1.3 Groups
Farming organisations and advisors have a role in helping farm businesses to adapt to the changes needed. In October 2022, farmers on 28% of holdings agreed that these organisations were helping them to make changes, with an additional 4% strongly agreeing (these proportions represent a decrease and no change, respectively from April 2022). Approximately 44% neither agreed or disagreed and a further 22% said they either disagreed (15%) or strongly disagreed (7%) that these organisations were helping them to make changes (see Figure 10).
Figure 10: Proportion of holdings that agree farming organisations and advisors are helping them make changes to their business, April 2021 to October 2022
| Year | Strongly agree | Agree | Neither agree nor disagree | Disagree | Strongly disagree | Not applicable | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr-21 | 4% | 31% | 46% | 13% | 5% | 1% | 100% |
| Oct-21 | 4% | 30% | 42% | 16% | 7% | 1% | 100% |
| Apr-22 | 4% | 31% | 44% | 11% | 8% | 2% | 100% |
| Oct-22 | 4% | 28% | 44% | 15% | 7% | 2% | 100% |
The future vision for farming involves farm businesses responding to both existing and new market demand for produce. In October 2022, farmers on 65% of holdings said that producing for the end market would currently be very important for their farm business with a further 26% indicating that it would be moderately important (see Figure 11). Only 5% said that it was not at all important.
Looking to the future, producing for the end market was said to be very important by 68% of holdings and 21% indicated that it would be moderately important in October 2022. Only 4% said it was not at all important and farmers on the remaining 7% of holdings were unsure.
Figure 11: Proportion of holdings that believe producing for the end market is important for their business, October 2022
| Response | Currently | In the future |
|---|---|---|
| Very important | 65% | 68% |
| Moderately important | 26% | 21% |
| Not at all important | 5% | 4% |
| I don’t know | 4% | 7% |
1.4 Environment
Defra’s vision for farming involves providing environmental outcomes. In October 2022, farmers on 78% of holdings said Defra paying for environmental outcomes was currently very (46%) or moderately (32%) important for their business (see Figure 12). A further 16% said that it was currently not at all important.
In October 2022, when asked how important it will be in the future for Defra to pay for environmental outcomes, farmers on 59% of holdings said it would be very important. A further 22% believed it would be moderately important and only 10% said that Defra paying for environmental outcomes in the future was not at all important.
Figure 12: Proportion of holdings that believe Defra paying for environmental outcomes would be important for their business, October 2022
| Response | Currently | In the future |
|---|---|---|
| Very important | 46% | 59% |
| Moderately important | 32% | 22% |
| Not at all important | 16% | 10% |
| I don’t know | 6% | 9% |
Environmental safeguards and standards in farming are maintained by both enforcing regulations and empowering individual responsibility. In October 2022, farmers on 32% of holdings either agreed (30%) or strongly agreed (2%) that the current approach balances enforcement with individual responsibility (see Figure 13). This is largely unchanged since April 2022 and no change from 32% in October 2021. Farmers on 39% of holdings neither agreed nor disagreed with the statement. A further 16% disagreed that the current approach balances enforcement with individual responsibility and 8% strongly disagreed. Farmers on the remaining 5% of holdings were unsure.
Figure 13: Proportion of holdings that agree the current approach balances enforcement with individual responsibility, April 2021 to October 2022
| Year | Strongly agree | Agree | Neither agree nor disagree | Disagree | Strongly disagree | I don’t know | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr-21 | 3% | 34% | 41% | 14% | 4% | 4% | 100% |
| Oct-21 | 3% | 29% | 37% | 21% | 7% | 3% | 100% |
| Apr-22 | 2% | 33% | 37% | 15% | 9% | 4% | 100% |
| Oct-22 | 2% | 30% | 39% | 16% | 8% | 5% | 100% |
Regulations protect the environment, farmed animals and public health. In October 2022, farmers on 85% of holdings are either very (22%) or somewhat (63%) confident that they understand which regulations apply to their farm. This is a decrease from 87% in April 2022 (very confident 26%; somewhat confident 61%). A further 13% are not at all confident and only 2% don’t know which regulations apply to their farm (see Figure 14).
Figure 14: Proportion of holdings that are confident they understand which regulations apply to their farm, October 2021 to October 2022
| Year | Very confident | Somewhat confident | Not at all confident | I don’t know | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct-21 | 28% | 57% | 13% | 2% | 100% |
| Apr-22 | 26% | 61% | 11% | 2% | 100% |
| Oct-22 | 22% | 63% | 13% | 2% | 100% |
Farmers were asked to consider the regulations that apply to their farms (outside the rules associated with any payment schemes) and 28% of all holdings indicated that they fully understood the purpose of the rules in October 2022. This proportion varied by farm ownership; 30% of mixed holdings and 26% of fully owned holdings said they fully understood the purpose of the rules compared to 25% of tenanted holdings (see Figure 15). Farmers on 62% of all holdings say that they roughly understood the purpose of the rules which apply to their farm. A further 8% don’t understand the purpose but want to know and only 2% said that they don’t need to know.
Figure 15: Proportion of holdings that understand the purpose of the regulations which apply to their farm, by farm ownership (October 2022)
| Category | I fully understand the purpose | I roughly understand the purpose | I don’t understand but want to know | I don’t need to know | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owned | 26% | 63% | 10% | 1% | 100% |
| Tenanted | 25% | 65% | 8% | 2% | 100% |
| Mixed | 30% | 60% | 8% | 2% | 100% |
| All farms | 28% | 62% | 8% | 2% | 100% |
1.5 Relationships
Farmers were asked how confident they were that changes to schemes and regulations will lead to a successful future for farming and 67% of holdings said that they are not confident at all (see Figure 16) in October 2022. Approximately 23% of holdings indicated that they are either very (1%) or somewhat (22%) confident in the changes to the schemes. This is a decrease from 27% in April 2022 (very confident 1%; somewhat confident 26%). The remaining 10% of farmers on all holdings don’t know if the changes to schemes will result in a successful future for farming.
Figure 16: Proportion of holdings that are confident the changes to schemes and regulations will lead to a successful future in farming, October 2021 to October 2022
| Year | Very confident | Somewhat confident | Not at all confident | I don’t know | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct-21 | 1% | 24% | 68% | 7% | 100% |
| Apr-22 | 1% | 26% | 65% | 8% | 100% |
| Oct-22 | 1% | 22% | 67% | 10% | 100% |
Defra and Defra agencies such as the Rural Payments Agency and Natural England are working together to deliver planned changes to schemes and regulations. In October 2022, farmers on 63% of holdings are not at all confident in Defra and Defra agency’s ability to deliver planned changes to schemes and regulations. This proportion is an increase from 58% in April 2022 (see Figure 17). In October 2022, a further 29% of holdings are either very (1%) or somewhat (28%) confident in Defra and Defra agency’s ability to deliver planned changes to schemes. Farmers on the remaining 8% of holdings are unsure.
Figure 17: Proportion of holdings that are confident in Defra and Defra agency’s abilities to work together to deliver changes to schemes and regulations, October 2021 to October 2022
| Year | Very confident | Somewhat confident | Not at all confident | I don’t know | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct-21 | 2% | 26% | 66% | 6% | 100% |
| Apr-22 | 2% | 32% | 58% | 8% | 100% |
| Oct-22 | 1% | 28% | 63% | 8% | 100% |
The October 2022 survey showed that as part of delivering the changes, farmers on 50% of holdings are not at all confident that their relationship with Defra and Defra agencies (such as the Rural Payments Agency and Natural England) will develop positively in the future. This proportion is largely unchanged from 48% in April 2022. In October 2022, approximately 37% of holdings are either very (2%) or somewhat (35%) confident that their relationship with Defra will develop positively in the future. Farmers on the remaining 13% of holdings said that they were unsure (see Figure 18).
Figure 18: Proportion of holdings that believe their relationship with Defra and Defra agencies will develop positively in the future, April 2021 to October 2022
| Year | Very confident | Somewhat confident | Not at all confident | I don’t know | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr-21 | 4% | 42% | 40% | 14% | 100% |
| Oct-21 | 3% | 33% | 52% | 12% | 100% |
| Apr-22 | 2% | 37% | 48% | 13% | 100% |
| Oct-22 | 2% | 35% | 50% | 13% | 100% |
In October 2022, when asked to consider the changes to existing payments and regulations as well as the new schemes that will be available, farmers on 35% of holdings feel either very (3%) or somewhat (32%) positive about the future of farming (see Figure 19). This is a largely unchanged from 37% in April 2022 (very positive 3%; somewhat positive 34%). In October 2022, farmers on 57% of all holdings are not at all positive about the future of farming and the remaining 8% are unsure.
Figure 19: Proportion of holdings that feel positive about the future of farming, April 2021 to October 2022
| Year | Very positive | Somewhat positive | Not at all positive | I don’t know | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr-21 | 7% | 46% | 38% | 9% | 100% |
| Oct-21 | 4% | 32% | 55% | 9% | 100% |
| Apr-22 | 3% | 34% | 55% | 8% | 100% |
| Oct-22 | 3% | 32% | 57% | 8% | 100% |
Note: This question changed in October 2021 as previously farmers weren’t asked to consider changes to schemes when asked about their relationship with Defra. This could explain the variation in results between April and October 2021.
In October 2022, farmers on 44% of holdings felt positive about their own future in farming (very positive 6%; somewhat positive 38%). This is a decrease from 47% in April 2022. In October 2022, approximately 46% indicated that they are not at all positive and the remaining 10% are unsure how they feel about their own future in farming (see Figure 20).
Figure 20: Proportion of holdings that feel positive about their own future in farming, October 2021 to October 2022
| Year | Very positive | Somewhat positive | Not at all positive | I don’t know | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct-21 | 6% | 38% | 47% | 9% | 100% |
| Apr-22 | 7% | 40% | 41% | 12% | 100% |
| Oct-22 | 6% | 38% | 46% | 10% | 100% |
Section 2 - Open Text Comments
429 out of the 1,537 respondents provided a comment. Below is a summary of the comments, focusing on those relevant to Defra and the Agricultural Transition. The most frequently occurring comments were negative sentiments towards Environmental Land Management schemes. This was often linked to a level of perceived uncertainty around the future direction of those schemes, likely due to a period of change with three successive government administrations, and changes in Defra Secretary of State in a short time frame, with wide ranging media coverage. The changes in government were mentioned by many respondents in the comments. It should be noted that people with strong views are more likely to comment. This can result in negative comments appearing more prevalent than might be the case i.e., respondents who are relatively content are less likely to provide comments. The survey was open for a set period and the comments reflect issues that are particularly salient at the time of completing the survey. Potential salience bias may impact on responses, with those issues that received significant media attention attracting more references and farmers being less likely to comment in detail on issues that were less salient but nonetheless important.
2.1 High level vision and clarity of future direction
There seemed to be a general understanding of the future direction of farming policy with a few comments praising Defra’s vision and future policy direction as “heading in the right direction”. Some comments expressed positive sentiments towards the vision but questioned whether Defra’s ability to deliver would match this. However, some responses focused on confusion within the farming community about the direction of future policy, arguing that until they are confident that policy isn’t about to change, their ability to make decisions is constrained.
As with the previous tracker, a very large number of contributions said there was a lack clarity and information. The comments ranged across other themes such as Environmental Land Management schemes, the Future Farming vision, production, and business viability. Many respondents felt there was a general lack of information and called for greater “clarity” and “leadership” on what Defra and government wanted from farmers. Some farmers said that without a clear message of policy direction “it is impossible to plan” for the future, this was flagged as making it very hard to “accurately forecast [their] business strategy”, or to make changes to their current business models. Others felt that messages were mixed, leaving them uncertain of what they should be doing, with a couple believing that not only are they uncertain about the future direction, but advisors are as well. A large number of responses specifically cited “a lack of detail” in environmental schemes as being an issue for them. Some farmers wanted more clarity on legislation and regulations that they will be expected to follow.
There was continued focus on the differing priorities of farming, with environmental schemes and food production often seen as mutually exclusive. There were a large number of comments suggesting that food production should be prioritised over the environment, particularly in light of national and global food supply and price issues, with some concern that Defra’s focus is too heavily weighted towards environmental concerns.
2.2 Food security, production, and imports
Food security was a frequently occurring theme. There was evidence of support for a more balanced approach to food production and environmental schemes with a few farmers voicing support for environmental management as a priority. However, more commonly, farmers discussed the need for food security, particularly in the context of environmental schemes that they believed reduce the amount of food producing land. Many of those concerned with the use of farmland for environmental schemes were supportive of the need to protect the environment; but they felt that currently the balance is too much in favour of the environment at the expense of food security. A number of respondents felt that imports allowed environmental schemes to export environmental problems by importing produce at lower standards.
For many of those concerned about lower standards of imported foods, using production practices banned in this country, the issue was about imports produced at lower cost undercutting farmgate prices. There was also reference to recent international trade agreements and dissatisfaction with the potential costs they bring for farmers in the UK. Other comments included a reduction in the reliance on imports as a way of ensuring food security.
2.3 Business viability
Business viability was a cross-cutting theme that often intersected with other themes such as the removal of basic payments, input costs and food security. Several comments highlighted significant concerns about the future viability of their farms especially in relation to the removal of subsidies with respondents expressing that they do not know how they will be able to make up the shortfall, particularly with direct payments being phased out before all of the new schemes are available. Others felt that the payment for future schemes would be too low. That said, several respondents were positive about the move away from direct payments, and the new schemes on offer.
Other comments focused on the challenges higher input costs were posing for both livestock and arable farmers; highlighting the impact this was having on their ability to meet demand due to the increase in production costs. A few farmers suggested that continued financial support or price controls were required to allow them to remain viable. Linked to this, a number of comments emphasised that either output prices or scheme payments needed to increase in order for their businesses to survive.
A few farmers shared their frustration in having to engage in diversified activities to supplement their farming income, with some expressing their view that farming as a profession should be profitable without other activities.
2.4 Specific farm types
Several comments from farmers focussed on the impact of future policy changes, scheme payment rates and the removal of the basic payments on different farm types. This often linked to themes such as business viability and Environmental Land Management schemes. Many comments highlighted the need to take an approach to policy that recognised the needs of small, livestock, and tenanted farms. Some respondents touched on the challenges faced by those who farm in areas with natural disadvantages, such as moorland, who are constrained by their land.
Concerns were expressed about the ability of small farms to withstand additional financial pressure of direct payments removal and adoption of new schemes. Livestock farmers often articulated the challenges around the prices they receive and the loss of integral services e.g., abattoirs. Tenant farmers focused on the issues with the short duration of tenancy agreements and payments from schemes going to landlords rather than those who are working the land.
2.5 Environmental Land Management schemes
Mirroring previous Farmer Opinion Trackers, Environmental Land Management schemes emerged as a dominant theme in the responses. There were a range of common sub-themes such as, concern over payment rates, issues with the complexity of schemes, and a feeling that schemes are not flexible enough for individual farm types. There were a range of sentiments expressed concerning Environmental Land Management schemes from positive to negative, although the majority of comments were of a negative sentiment.
Positive comments highlighted that the new Environmental Land Management schemes are the right direction for the future of farming, sharing that they have had positive experiences thus far.
Negative comments noted concerns about the design of the new schemes, with some expressing reservations about the increased focus on the environmental outcomes, especially tree planting. There were recurring themes about scheme eligibility as well as payment rates being “too low” - offering “very little incentive” for farmers to engage in these schemes. Some comments focused on the perception in parts of the farming community that Defra lacks understanding of the industry, which has resulted in schemes they believe may not be effective in their aims. Several respondents commented on the complexity of the applications for the Environmental Land Management schemes, with some comments highlighting that they had to employ advisors to assist them.
2.6 Relationship with the farming community
A number of farmers provided feedback on Defra and its Arm’s Length Bodies (ALBs). A few comments were positive, appreciative of what is done well and for trying to make improvements. However, negative comments were more prevalent. There was a perception among some farmers that Defra staff lack practical knowledge about farming and the environment. Some felt that environmentalists, environmental groups, or particular individuals had too much influence, and that farmers are not valued or listened to when developing policy. There was some scepticism about whether the opportunities given to farmers to air their views were truly used. Low levels of trust in Defra and the Government in general were noted, with the response to the current avian influenza outbreak causing a lack of confidence for some farmers.
Many comments indicated a feeling that new schemes are too complicated and making farmers’ lives more difficult. A number of comments mentioned the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) when asking for more flexibility and simplicity around regulations.
2.7 What’s Different Now? (Comparison to previous results)
A lower proportion of respondents chose to provide comments compared to the previous survey, although total number of responses (and comments) were higher. There were some notable differences to the previous tracker.
Like the previous survey, in April 2022, comments relating to food security were again widespread. However, whilst the war in Ukraine was mentioned in the context of food security, it was less of a focus than the previous survey. Instead, there was a general concern on a need to ensure a secure food supply, and an additional focus that food must be available but also affordable.
In April 2022 there were a number of comments relating to new entrants and young farmers, as well as the Lump Sum Exit Scheme. However, whilst there were very few comments relating to these topics in October 2022, there was still concern about the future of farming as an industry.
In the October 2021 tracker, international trade and imports received significant coverage, but were less prominent in April 2022. However, international trade once again featured in a large number of comments with concern over importing food of lower standards, and the exporting of negative environmental impacts.
A larger number of respondents cited rising input costs and low output prices in relation to their business viability, with a number raising concerns that price rises for consumers do “not filter back to the producer”.
Section 3 - What you need to know about this release
3.1 Contact details
Statistics
Responsible statistician: Helen Mason
Team: Farming Statistics - Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Email address: Farming-Statistics@defra.gov.uk
Telephone: 03000 600170
Social Research
Responsible social researcher: Rhiannon Naylor
Team: Future Farming Insights and Evaluation - Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
3.2 Official statistics status
Official statistics are produced to the high professional standards and comply with the United Kingdom Statistics Authority’s Code of Practice for Statistics. The Code of Practice for Statistics sets the standards that producers of official statistics should commit to. Compliance with the Code gives you confidence that our published statistics have public value, are high quality, and are produced by people and organisations that are trustworthy.
Section 4 - About these statistics
4.1 Methodology
The Farmer Opinion Tracker provides a snapshot of views and opinions towards Defra’s vision for farming as at October 2022. Farmers were asked questions about Defra’s vision for farming, business planning, relationships with farming organisations and Defra and the future of farming.
The results provided in this report are based on surveys sent to a representative sub-sample of the farming community in England, approximately 6,000 holdings. The survey was voluntary and 1,537 responses were received (including some partial responses), resulting in a response rate of around 25%.
To be included in the main sample, holdings had to have at least 50 cattle, 100 sheep, 100 pigs, 1,000 poultry or 20 hectares of arable crops or orchards. Therefore, all results given in this statistical report reflect just over 60 thousand holdings that exceed these thresholds out of the total English population of almost 107 thousand commercial holdings.
4.2 Data analysis
Results have been analysed using a standard methodology for stratified random surveys to produce national estimates. With this method, all of the data are weighted according to the inverse sampling fraction.
4.3 Accuracy and reliability of the results
We show 95% confidence intervals against the results in the Farmer Opinion Tracker dataset. These show the range of values that may apply to the figures. They mean that we are 95% confident that this range contains the true value. They are calculated as the standard errors (se) multiplied by 1.96 to give the 95% confidence interval (95% CI). The standard errors only give an indication of the sampling error. They do not reflect any other sources of survey errors, such as non-response bias.
4.4 Uses and Users
The survey was set up to collect farmer opinion on the future for farming in England prior to, and during, the Agricultural Transition. The aim is to be open and transparent about what we are hearing from the farming community and then acknowledge and respond to areas where we need to improve. The data collected via this survey will be used to create a baseline dataset of farmer opinion which can then be monitored over time to see how it is changing as we move through the agricultural transition period.
4.5 Definitions
Region
This refers to the ITL1 regions in England, for the purposes of this analysis we have combined the South East with London.
Farm type
This refers to the ‘robust type’, which is a standardised farm classification system. Farms are split into Dairy, Grazing Livestock Less Favoured Areas (LFA), Grazing Livestock Lowland, Mixed, Other crops, Cereals and Pigs & Poultry (Specialist Pigs and Specialist Poultry combined).
Farm sizes
This is based on the estimated labour requirements for the holding, rather than its land area. The farm size bands used within the detailed results tables which accompany this publication are shown in the table below. Standard Labour Requirement (SLR) is defined as the theoretical number of workers required each year to run a holding, based on its cropping and livestock activities.
| Farm size | Definition |
|---|---|
| Small | Less than 2 SLR |
| Medium | 2 to less than 3 SLR |
| Large | 3 or more SLR |
Farm ownership
This is based on data from the June Survey of Agriculture and Horticulture. The types are split into:
- Owned - all area on the holding is owned
- Tenanted - All area on the holding is rented under a Full Agricultural Tenancy, Full Business Tenancy, Other agreement or is seasonally rented in (364 days or less)
- Mixed - area on the holding is a mixture of owned and tenanted
4.6 Future publications
The Farmer Opinion Survey for England was first run in Autumn 2019. The survey was set up to collect opinion prior to, and during, the agricultural transition which is the period of the Future Farming and Countryside Programme. Therefore, it is expected the survey will run every 6 months until 2028. Please note, only one survey was run in 2020 as Covid disrupted data collection.
The next survey will be run in Spring 2023. The publication date will be announced on the research and statistics webpage on gov.uk.
To view previous statistical releases and the full breakdown of results, please visit the Farm Opinion Tracker collection.