New act marks a new era
The Agriculture Act is a very significant piece of legislation.
It marks, according to Defra, an opportunity to move away from the EU’s bureaucratic Common Agricultural Policy and towards a system that increases productivity, is fairer and more flexible, particularly in terms of supporting environmental actions.
The act will be supported by a large number of statutory instruments, so it is not yet possible to assess what all of its effects will be. Its main features are:
Support payments will change significantly. They will become more focussed on the objectives of the government’s 25-year Environment Plan.
Greater transparency and fairness in the supply chain. The detail of these changes will be in statutory instruments but it is hard to see what additional powers government will have that it did not already.
A duty to report to parliament on UK food security, a hard-won addition to the act by the farming sector.
Trade, and in particular a Trade and Agriculture Commission which has a duty to report to parliament on the impact of any trade deals that the government wants to sign.
Landlord and tenant changes, including for landlords to make investments on a let farm without it affecting rent reviews.
George Dickin, Strutt & Parker
