Support for local farming

BACKGROUND

Recent changes to government policy have implications for the farming industry and the operation of farms up and down the country. On top of changes to taxation policy for farms, in March the government announced that the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), a farming subsidy that replaced the EU Common Agricultural Policy, was being closed to new applications.

In announcing the most recent changes, The Farming Minister, Daniel Zeichner MP, said that farms are “not going to be supported forever by the public purse.”

Faced with increased operational costs, farmers are faced with the need to take steps to diversify their land holdings to secure the long term viability of their farms.

A NEED TO GENERATE EXTRA INCOME FOR THE FARM

The site is seeing diminishing crop yields

  • The farm has identified four fields which have diminishing crop yields due to over-farming and drought stress.  These four fields totals 82.5 acres of farmland, which equates to 5.1% of the total land holding of 1,619 acres of farmland.

The farmer is seeking to install a solar farm to fund this diversification 

  • The farm has decided to build a solar farm on the four worst performing fields that totals 5.1% of the total farmland. It will fund the construction of the reservoir and create a 42-year revenue stream to support future investment and profits for the farm.

The solar farm responds to clear threats to Norfolk farmers   

  • The farm has to respond to clear threats, such as drought stress (linked to climate change), higher operational costs (linked to changes to taxation) and turn them into opportunities that will sustain the farm for decades to come.

THE SOLAR FARM WILL SUPPORT THE FARMING OF CROPS FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION

The farmer is currently growing crops to generate fuel and feed animals, not humans

  • The farm grows oilseed rape, maize and winter rye which is used to feed animals and generate fuel.  Not a single crop grown at the farm is used to produce food for human consumption such as carrots, potatoes or turnips.

The farmer is seeking to diversify the business by growing food for humans

  • The farm has obtained planning permission to build an irrigation reservoir.  Once built, it will enable the use of stored winter rainwater to enable drip irrigation for growing vegetables for human consumption.  It will guarantee water security for the farm.

The Farmer is sourcing contacts with food suppliers

  • The farm has an agreement in principle to sell all vegetables grown at the farm, beginning with salad potatoes, to a company which supplies all major British supermarket chains.  Potatoes will be grown in Norfolk and consumed in Norfolk.

SHEEP GRAZING

The four fields that will house the solar farm will be used by a local shepherd who will graze the land, enabling agricultural use of the land.  The farm has signed a legal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the shepherd.