DEFRA Cuts: NFU calls for more detail

The NFU has said it is difficult to assess the impact of the spending review on farmers without more detail.

NFU president Peter Kendall said the details which had been released were very thin on the ground.

“DEFRA has announced spending cuts of £700m over four years, yet it is far from clear where exactly the axe will fall,” he said.

“DEFRA has taken one of the biggest hits in Whitehall, in terms of the proportion of its budget that will be cut. At 8% a year this amounts to almost 30% by 2015.

“Over the coming days we hope that more details will emerge at which point we will know whether the department has listened to our argument that ministers must avoid cuts where they would damage the long term competitive prospects of British farming.

Mr Kendall said there were a number of aspects in the chancellor’s announcement that appeared positive.

“In particular, having written to the chancellor earlier this month highlighting the importance a robust science base for productive agriculture, I was pleased to hear his commitment to protect the Department for Business Innovation and Skills’ science budget.

“However, as with most of today’s announcement, we really need more detail before we can be sure the research projects that benefit farmers on the ground will be supported, and to understand the extent to which inflation means a real-term reduction in the science budget.”

* For more detail on the spending review see our dedicated page.