Financial rewards for improving soil health and free yearly veterinary welfare reviews, have been announced as part of the UK Government’s future Agricultural Transition Plan.

In an update from Environment Secretary George Eustice, he confirmed that farmers will be able to earn up to £70 per hectare for actions to improve their soils and livestock farmers will be eligible for a free vet-led annual visit, to better understand the health and welfare of the national herd and flock.

He also set out that moorland farmers will be able to be paid to assess the condition of their land, and confirmed the early roll-out of the Sustainable Farming Incentive from spring 2022.

The UK Government has committed to maintaining the current levels of investment in farming of £2.4bn per year over the course of the parliament, with Direct Payments to be gradually phased out and redirected back to farmers through environmental land management schemes.

Environment Secretary George Eustice said: “Soil health is the key to delivering our targets on the environment and improving farm profitability. Well managed soils can lead to increased biodiversity, improved water quality and reduced carbon emissions. Our new Sustainable Farming Incentive will eventually be open to every farmer in England and will incentivise a shift towards more sustainable soil and grassland management.”

The Sustainable Farming Incentive will be the first of three environmental land management schemes to be rolled out and will include actions to improve soil health and water quality, enhance hedgerows and promote integrated pest management. It will also help to accelerate the widespread adoption of more sustainable approaches on all types of farms, building on the practices that already happen on many farms. These include maintaining and enhancing the natural environment, reducing carbon emissions, and improving the health and welfare of farmed animals.

The scheme is designed to be accessible, relevant and attractive to the widest possible range of farmers to achieve the aim of at least 70% of eligible farms taking part by 2028. An initial call for applicants for the pilot was answered by more than 2,000 farmers and land managers.

The British Veterinary Association welcomed the Government’s update: “The real win here is that for the first time the Government in England is recognising animal health and welfare as a public good that will attract public funds,” said BVA President, James Russell.

“The annual vet visits will be a crucial first step in delivering the ultimate aim of improving the health and welfare of the nation’s herds and flocks. It’s essential that the programme builds on, and strengthens, existing farmer-vet relationships.

“We know there are some animals that currently have no access to veterinary healthcare and we welcome this opportunity to reach those farms so we can bring veterinary value to improving health, welfare and productivity," he continued.

“There is much more detail to be worked out and BVA is actively working with government and farmers to co-design what this looks like in practice. We welcome this first step that will help us to understand the bigger picture on health and welfare so we can target our efforts to make improvements on priority diseases.”