English farmers are being offered a large lump sum from the British government to exit the farming industry “in a managed way.”
This “Lump Sum Exit Scheme” is being offered to Basic Payment Scheme applicants in England, and will make it easier for applicants to either retire from farming or enter a different line of work.
Farmers will receive up to £100,000 provided they abandon the industry, and take steps to surrender their land. Thais could entail either selling or letting owned land, or giving up their tenant status on land that is rented.
The self-stated goal of the scheme is to assist farmers who would “like to retire or leave the industry but have found it difficult to do so for financial reasons.”
UK Environment Secretary George Eustice said: “The purpose of the Lump Sum Exit Scheme is to assist farmers who want to exit the industry to do so in a planned way that provides them with the means to make a meaningful choice about their future.”
Eustice previously indicated his support for a levy on foods that contribute heavily to carbon emissions ahead of the COP26 conference, and said that the British government was putting together a plan around carbon tax.
British Minister for #Environment , Rural Affairs & #Agriculture signals his support for levy on #foods that contribute to #globalwarming.#Meat & #dairy have high #carbon footprint & also lead to higher #pollution than #vegetables. #COP26 #sustainability https://t.co/HowxbvKAVa
— SP Shukla (@Prakashukla) November 13, 2021
In December of 2021, even before the war in Ukraine, a YouGov poll found that Britain was experiencing worse food shortages than many EU countries.
Food shortages hitting Britons more than many in EU, poll finds https://t.co/S7F74Zyr52
— jon henley (@jonhenley) December 22, 2021