Written questions by Morello.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help encourage the adoption of agroforestry systems where crops are planted among trees to help improve (a) biodiversity and (b) resilience.

Defra recognises that agroforestry provides an important opportunity to increase the number of trees on farms, providing many environmental benefits, while maintaining agricultural production. The key steps the Government is taking are: Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier: This scheme provides funding for agroforestry practices, encouraging farmers to integrate trees into their farming systems to improve environmental outcomes and farm resilience. The options include maintaining very low and low density in-field agroforestry on more sensitive land and medium and high density in-field agroforestry, with payment rates of £248 to £849 per hectare per year.Agroforestry Plan (PA4): Farmers can receive £1268.08 to complete an agroforestry plan to support planning, creating, and managing agroforestry systems. This includes specialist advice from Forestry Commission or Natural England advisers.Sustainable Farming Incentive: This scheme provides funding for agroforestry practices, encouraging farmers to adopt sustainable farming practices that improve soil health, reduce erosion, and enhance biodiversity. The options include maintaining very low density and low density in-field agroforestry on less sensitive land, with payment rates of £248 to £385 per hectare per year. Schemes are being rolled out in a controlled manner. Due to demand some Capital Grants are temporarily paused and expected to reopen in summer 2025.

Food and Rural Affairs, what support his Department offers young individuals seeking to start their own farming enterprises.

Attracting bright new talent into land-based careers and having a skilled workforce in place is vital for the future of UK food and farming. Defra works closely with The Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture (TIAH) which is encouraging young people and new entrants into farming in its capacity as an industry led professional body for the farming industry. This includes leading a cross-industry initiative to address common negative misconceptions about the sector and providing free TIAH membership for students. TIAH is also developing online capabilities to support matching mentees with mentors, and those looking for land with those who wish to provide access to land. Furthermore, the Government has launched Skills England to ensure there is a comprehensive suite of apprenticeships, training and technical qualifications for individuals and employers to access, which are aligned with skills gaps and what employers need. It will work with its partners to ensure that regional and national skills needs are met.

Food and Rural Affairs, what support his Department provides for large-scale farms transitioning to agroecological approaches.

Agroecological practices promote sustainable and resilient approaches to farming. This aligns with the goals of the government’s Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes, which will fund improvements to food security, biodiversity, carbon emissions, water quality, air quality and flood resilience. We consider much of the funding under our ELM schemes as supporting agroecological practices. As announced in October 2024, Defra’s farming budget will be £2.4 billion in 2025/26. ELM remains at the centre of our offer for farmers and will be funded by the largest ever budget directed at sustainable food production and nature’s recovery in our country’s history of £1.8 billion. This enables us to keep momentum on the path to a more resilient and sustainable farming sector.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to encourage the expansion of domestic manufacturing of (a) tractors, (b) combine harvesters and (c) precision agriculture technology.

Domestic adoption of precision farming technologies including, for example, tractor mounted drills, inter row hoes and weeders and camera guided spot sprayers, has been supported by the Farming Equipment & Technology Fund (FETF), that provides grants towards the cost of innovative equipment that is commercially available. A round of FETF will open to farmers across England in Spring 2025. Through the Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies (ADOPT) fund we are also providing grants for farmer-led demonstration trials of newly emerging technologies, so farmers may have greater confidence to invest in further advances to improve productivity and profitability. A range of measures is being considered through the development of the Government’s Industrial Strategy to benefit UK technology and equipment manufacturers and deliver growth.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing (a) fiscal and (b) regulatory incentives to (i) support UK-based agricultural machinery manufacturers and (ii) reduce reliance on imported agricultural equipment.

The Farming Innovation Programme funds research and innovation to offer new technology, equipment and practices that will support development of UK businesses and deliver solutions for farmers. Further grants like the Farming Equipment & Technology Fund (FETF) have helped ensure these UK-developed technologies can be adopted to support UK agriculture. We continue to work with industry to explore and enhance the full range of levers available to support UK agri-innovation and technology growth.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the adoption of hydroponic systems among traditional farmers.

The Government is committed to supporting farmers in adopting innovative technologies to improve productivity and sustainability. The Accelerating Development of Practices and Techniques (ADOPT) Fund, which will open for applications in the spring, provides funding for on-farm trials of new technologies and techniques. This may include trials exploring the application of hydroponics in various farming environments.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of promoting the adoption of AI-driven monitoring systems in agriculture.

The Government is committed to supporting farmers in adopting innovative technologies to improve productivity and sustainability. The Accelerating Development of Practices and Techniques (ADOPT) Fund, which will open for applications in the spring, provides funding for on-farm trials of new technologies and techniques. This can include precision agriculture tools [such as GPS-guided machinery, variable-rate application systems, and remote sensing technology]. In addition, the forthcoming round of the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF), to launch in Spring 2025, will support the uptake of innovative technology and equipment that is commercially available. The scheme will be open to farmers across England and a list of eligible equipment will be published within the scheme guidance ahead of its launch.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent data his Department holds on E. coli levels in the River Char.

The River Char is not a designated site, therefore we do not hold any data on E.Coli levels for that river. The Environment Agency (EA) does not routinely monitor for E. Coli, as this is not a measure used to classify the ecological health of our rivers. E Coli monitoring is normally only undertaken at designated bathing waters to provide information to bathers on possible health risks. The Char has no designated bathing waters so is not monitored for E Coli. The nearest designated bathing water site in the catchment is on the coast at Charmouth West. This has been classified as having Excellent Bathing Water Quality.

Food and Rural Affairs, what funding is allocated for research into affordable precision agriculture technologies suitable for small-scale farmers.

The Farming Innovation Programme funds research across a range of technologies in agriculture including precision agriculture. Almost £150 million has been committed to projects of which over £84 million has been committed to small businesses. From 2025 / 2026 a further £63 million will be available in innovation grants under the Programme to support research and innovation, technology and equipment for farmers.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he has taken to support farmers with changes in agricultural subsidies following the UK's departure from the EU.

As we carry on the transition away from payment for land ownership and towards paying to deliver public goods for the environment, the Government is working with farmers to deliver a profitable farming sector and unlock rural growth. Environment Land Management (ELM) schemes remain at the centre of our offer for farmers and nature, putting us on the path to a more resilient and sustainable farming sector. In the October 2024 budget, we committed £5 billion for farming over two years, including £1.8 billion for our ELM schemes - the largest ever budget directed at sustainable food production and nature’s recovery in our country’s history. More than half of farmers are now in an ELM scheme. At January’s Oxford Farming Conference, the Secretary of State announced a series of reforms to support farmers, delivering on the Government’s New Deal for Farmers. This includes a pledge to use the Government’s own purchasing power to back British produce and a commitment to monitor food currently bought in the public sector and where it is bought from. The Government will also use planning reforms to support food production, help farmers make additional money from selling surplus energy from solar panels and wind turbines by accelerating connections to the grid, protect farmers in trade deals, and boost profitability through fair competition across the supply chain.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to reduce E. coli levels in the River Char.

The River Char is not a designated site, therefore we do not hold any data on E.Coli levels for that river. The Environment Agency (EA) does not routinely monitor for E. Coli, as this is not a measure used to classify the ecological health of our rivers. E Coli monitoring is normally only undertaken at designated bathing waters to provide information to bathers on possible health risks. The Char has no designated bathing waters so is not monitored for E Coli. The nearest designated bathing water site in the catchment is on the coast at Charmouth West. This has been classified as having Excellent Bathing Water Quality.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to prevent hunting activities from causing distress to livestock on active farmland.

The Government recognises the distress livestock worrying can cause animals and their keepers. It is an offence under the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 for any dog to attack or worry livestock. All reported crimes should be taken seriously, investigated and, where appropriate, taken through the courts and met with appropriate penalties. Government is supporting a Private Members’ Bill which will amend and update the 1953 Act. The Bill will modernise definitions and scope, strengthen police powers and increase the maximum penalty from a fine of £1,000 to an “unlimited” fine to act as a deterrent.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support farmers facing increased veterinary insurance premiums.

Insurance providers are private businesses and are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. However, through the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, we are providing eligible keepers of cattle, sheep and pigs in England access to a series of funded visits by a vet of their choice, the animal health and welfare review and the complementary endemic disease follow-up visit.

Food and Rural Affairs, what support is available to farmers for implementing water-efficient irrigation systems.

We are committed to supporting all farming sectors to increase levels of productivity whilst increasing their sustainability and resilience. We are looking carefully at how to position further investment and support to enable the delivery of this Government's objectives, including on water management. We plan to simplify and rationalise our grant funding, ensuring that grants deliver the most benefit for food security and nature. The forthcoming round of the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund, to launch in Spring 2025, will support the uptake of innovative technology and equipment that is commercially available. The scheme has historically offered grants for water management equipment and will be open to farmers across England. The full list of eligible equipment will be published within the scheme guidance ahead of the scheme launch. We will confirm any further future grant rounds in due course following the forthcoming Spending Review.

Food and Rural Affairs, what support his Department is providing for farmers impacted by the Bluetongue virus.

This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England and Wales only. This Government recognises the importance of tackling rural crimes such as Hare Coursing. The previous Government made changes to address illegal hare coursing through a package of measures in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. This broadened the circumstances in which police can investigate and bring charges for hare coursing related activity. Enforcement of the law is a matter for the police. This is in line with their duties to keep the peace and protect communities.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to promote the distribution of cost-effective technological innovations to the farming community in West Dorset.

We are committed to supporting technological innovation on farm so all farming sectors can maximise their levels of productivity whilst increasing their sustainability and resilience. As announced at the NFU Conference, the next window of the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) will launch in Spring 2025. This will support uptake of innovative technology and equipment that is commercially available. The scheme will be open to farmers across England and a list of eligible equipment will be published within the scheme guidance ahead of its launch. The Farming Innovation Programme funds research across a range of technologies in agriculture including precision agriculture. Almost £150 million has been committed to projects of which over £84 million has been committed to small businesses. From later in the year a further £63 million will be available in innovation grants under the Programme to support research and innovation, technology and equipment for farmers. We are looking carefully at how to position further investment and support to enable the delivery of this Government's objectives as part of the forthcoming Spending Review.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to prevent the symptoms on the Bluetongue virus alongside vaccinations.

Defra’s approach to bluetongue virus (BTV) considers the latest scientific evidence and veterinary advice and aims to limit the spread of infection through proportionate and evidence-based control measures where appropriate, including movement controls on susceptible animals and controls on germinal products. A Restricted Zone is currently in place to help prevent the spread of disease. Alongside this, the Secretary of State authorised the use of three BTV-3 vaccines in 2024 and keepers are encouraged to discuss the use of vaccines with their vet.

Food and Rural Affairs, what consultations his Department has held with farming communities on the potential impact of rural road infrastructure on farming operations.

Rural road infrastructure is not a matter for Defra. The Department for Transport is responsible for providing policy, guidance and funding to local authorities in England to help them run and maintain their road networks. Local authorities are responsible for the management of the local road network under their control, and it is for individual local authorities to decide on how best to maintain its roads based on local needs, priorities and funding. Consultation with rural communities, including farmers, on the subject of road infrastructure would be a matter for the Department for Transport and the relevant local authorities. This Government takes the accessibility and condition of both rural and urban roads very seriously and is determined to help local authorities tackle the maintenance backlog that results from years of underinvestment by the previous Government. Well-maintained roads are vital for the economy and broader factors such as the social wellbeing of communities.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of recent trends in veterinary service costs on farm veterinary insurance premiums over the last five years.

Insurance providers are private businesses and are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. We are therefore not able to provide further information on this matter.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has commissioned research into developing cereal crop varieties more resilient to prolonged periods of drought.

Defra’s flagship crop breeding programme, the crop Genetic Improvement Networks (GINs), funds research to develop crop varieties that are more productive; sustainable; and have greater resilience against a changing climate, including drought tolerance. The latest investment in this research programme - £15 million over 5 years - covers five crop types, including wheat. The GINs have already successfully identified genetic traits to improve resilience to climate change and common pests and diseases; and the programme is working closely with breeders to incorporate these traits into elite UK crop varieties. On 25 February the legislation needed to implement the Precision Breeding Act for plants in England was laid in Parliament and through a new Farming Innovation Programme thematic competition, we have announced £12.5 million to help deliver the practical benefits of precision breeding technology to farmers. This will help transform the plant breeding sector, including potentially supporting more drought resilient cereals.