UK regions at a ‘turning point’ for farm schemes

Farm support schemes across the UK are changing in different ways, a leading agricultural consultancy firm has said.

In its Outlook 2026 publication, the Andersons Centre points out that farm schemes in England are rapidly moving towards being focussed solely on environmental measures.

It is a different picture in Scotland, Wales and NI, where an element of direct financial support for farmers remains part of agricultural policy.

“We are at a turning point in the evolution of agricultural policy in all four regions of the UK,” the document states.

The Andersons consultants highlight that Scotland, Wales and NI are effectively “at the start of their future farm policy”, whereas England has been in a transition period for four years.

“Farmers in England no longer have the safety net of the Basic Payment Scheme. The maximum payment had already been cut sharply to £7,200 for 2025.

“For 2026 and 2027 an announcement accompanying the Comprehensive Spending Review in June means it will be just £600,” the document states.

Slow roll out

New environmental schemes in England have been slow to roll out and applications to a key scheme were suddenly suspended in March 2025 due to budget availability.

“[This] signals not a move to a more permanent system, but a policy ‘reset’ driven by budget constraints, reassessment of priorities, and uncertainty for English farmers,” the latest Andersons Outlook report reads.