Nusrat Ghani, MP for Wealden, welcomes a new range of measures announced this week by the Government to support rural communities and protect British farming for the next generation.
At the 2024 National Farmers Union Annual Conference, the Prime Minister announced the largest ever grant offer for farmers in the coming financial year, expected to total £427 million.
Around £220 million will be injected into technology and productivity schemes to help ensure farmers can access new equipment, and funding cost-saving energy measures to safeguard land for food production. The funding doubles investment in productivity schemes, growing the grant offer from £91 million last year to £220 million next year to keep up with demand for the scheme from farmers.
Almost half of farmers in England receive support from the UK Government through new schemes created post-Brexit, and this new package of funding will create new routes of innovation and industry, as well as more options for processing, packing and retailing directly on farms themselves.
These measures are intended to also help diversify the income streams for rural communities, increase job opportunities and support the developments of hyper local enterprises connecting communities more with farms in their vicinity.
Nusrat Ghani said: “Wealden farmers are hugely valued entrepreneurs and key parts of our local communities, and I know from my regular meetings with them how hard they are working all year round to provide a sustainably grown, high quality produce.
I’m pleased that the Government is continuing its support of British Farmers with these new measures, aimed to boost resilience and productivity in this sector. Farming is vital to Wealden’s economy, so investing in supporting its innovation and growth ensures we protect healthy food production that thrives, now and for future generations.”
