Northumberland farmer facing £30,000 loss in income due to uncertainty in agricultural sector

Coun John Riddle issued the stark warning at a meeting of Northumberland County Council’s cabinet, where members were discussing the council’s response to the future of farming inquiry it launched last year.

It followed concern by Wooler councillor and farmer Coun Mark Mather, who faced losing a large amount of the land he rented and farmed due to the owner’s desire to plant trees in response to DEFRA initiatives about rewilding farmland.

"A number of farmers have been given short term tenancies on the back of this so the landlord can take the land back if they want to go down the greening route,” said Coun Mather.

"Northumberland has the highest percentage of tenant farmers in the country. Lots of farmers are struggling and some are leaving the industry.

If we lose them it has a huge knock on impact on the wider community, whether that be clearing the snow from roads in winter to supporting the high street or helping in the running of the local school.

"Now, rewilding and looking after the environment is very important but the balance has to be right and I think the government has lost its direction on this. I’ve heard lots of farmers saying they’re in a financially unsustainable position because of higher costs and reduced subsidies.

"We’re at the point where we have to decide if we’re going to a food producing country or not. Farming has given us the wonderful patchwork of colour we see in our fields and I personally don’t want to lose that. The government has to let us know one way or the other.”

Coun Riddle, who is also a farmer and represents the rural Bellingham ward, said he welcomed the report, but warned there were still issues going forward.

He said: “There is still a lot of uncertainty. Just last night I’ve had a telephone call from a tenant farmer ringing me for advice. I told him the schemes were still a bit woolly and advised him to use a farming consultant.

“The reality is he’s probably going to lose about £30,000 in payments, or subsidies, whatever you want to call it, even following the best advice. That will mean he’s likely to be farming at a loss, and that’s not sustainable.

“When farmers have got money in their pockets, they spend money in the rural economy.”

Council leader Glen Sanderson – another farmer – had previously spoken of a “slight gap” in the guidance from DEFRA as well as from Government and “others.”

He added: “It’s the question of maintaining the balance of maintaining food security and the patchwork of farms across the county, versus the environmental campaigns that have been led by a number of organisations to encourage farmers to rewild.

“They are all very worthy things, but there’s a balance. Just look at the inflation caused by the war in Ukraine and the problems we run into if we think we can rely on others for food.”

Coun Sanderson also revealed an invitation had been extended to secretary of state Thérèse Coffey to discuss the findings of the inquiry.