Supermarkets such as Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and others might soon encounter supply problems in two key areas vegetables and grains. Northamptonshire farmer Stephen Holt warns that government support is pushing farmers to concentrate on preserving wildlife rather than growing food.
This movement could lead to a shortage of grains and vegetables in popular stores like Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, MandS, Iceland, Waitrose, Tesco, Lidl, Aldi and beyond. Mr Holt explained to The Times how the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), one of the government's post-Brexit Environmental Land Management schemes (ELMs), offers payments to farmers for safeguarding wildlife habitats, reports Birmingham Live.
Stephen shared with The Times: "Instead of 1,300 tonnes of product, we will produce 900 tonnes of product from our farm. All our input prices are approximately 50% higher than before Putin invaded Ukraine but our arable crop prices are below where they were."
He further explained: "If you do the sums it's better to take government money for legume fallow crop for one year and then alternate with a first year winter wheat as a commercial crop."
Mark Spencer, the farming minister, said: "We firmly back our farmers. British farming is at the heart of British trade, and we put agriculture at the forefront of any deals we negotiate, prioritising new export opportunities, protecting UK food standards and removing market access barriers."
A Defra spokesperson shared: "Last month the prime minister and secretary of state made clear our commitment to support profitable farming businesses, including a new annual UK-wide food security index and the largest-ever grant offer for farmers, expected to total £427 million."
"Our schemes pay farmers to take actions that improve the environment, but they have profitability and food production at their core. We are committed to continuing to produce at least 60 per cent of the food we consume in the UK."
