Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to evaluate the effectiveness of trade missions dedicated to British agriculture.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is supporting British food and farming’s untapped global potential through new trade agreements, including with India, and progressing negotiations with the EU on an SPS Agreement to make agrifood trade with our biggest market cheaper and easier.
In 2025 our global network of agri-food attachés resolved further export barriers which industry estimate are worth over £125 million. Recent successes include securing market access for dairy to Egypt, worth £35 million per year, and pork exports to Mexico, worth £3.8 million per year.
Dedicated trade missions support this work, helping farmers and growers get British produce into new markets overseas and unlocking export barriers.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what work has been done to identify geographic disparities in farm profitability.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Data on Farm Business Income (output generated by the farm business minus total farm costs, essentially net profit) is published annually at regional level. While this shows geographic differences in farm profitability, it is also heavily influenced by the variation in the predominant type of farming in different parts of the country.
The survey covers farm businesses in England with a Standard Output of more than £21,000. Whilst it captures the majority of agricultural activity, it excludes smaller businesses (which account for 2% of output).
The table below shows average Farm Business Income, in real terms, by region for 2023/24. These data will shortly be backdated to a new methodology introduced in 2024/25. Data for 2024/25 along with revised 2023/24 figures will be published on the 22nd of January in Farm Accounts in England.
Average Farm Business Income in real terms (£ per farm) by region, England 2023/24:
| £ per farm |
Yorkshire and The Humber | 52,200 |
North East | 67,900 |
North West | 51,600 |
East Midlands | 32,300 |
West Midlands | 57,700 |
East | 67,000 |
South East and London | 35,100 |
South West | 36,100 |
England | 47,900 |
Source: Farm Business Survey data dashboard Farm Business Survey dashboard.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what analysis her Department has made of the potential relationship between environmental regulation costs and farm profitability.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Farm incomes and profitability are largely impacted by factors such as the weather, input costs and prices. The costs of regulatory compliance have a smaller effect. However, we recognise Government should try to minimise the costs of regulatory compliance. Following the recent Corry and Batters review reports, we are considering recommendations made in both reports in relation to regulation impacting farming and we are continuing a programme of improvement.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what criteria her Department will use to evaluate the effectiveness of the Farming and Food Partnership Board.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The department is setting up a Farming and Food Partnership Board (FFPB) which will bring together voices from farming, food, retail and finance to drive profitability, support British produce and remove barriers to investment.
The Board will bring together voices from the farming, food, retail and finance sectors to drive profitability, support homegrown British produce and remove barriers to investment. More information on the composition and operation of the FFPB will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department will take to improve market transparency for input price indices for farmers.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra publishes price indices for key farming inputs such as animal feed and fertilisers in the monthly Agricultural Price Indices release, as well as annual analysis of trends in price indices in Chapter 6: Prices of Agriculture in the UK. The indices rely on a broad range of cross-government and industry data sources, which are regularly reviewed to ensure the estimates are based on the best available data.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of livestock worrying on the finances of farming communities.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has taken steps to address the financial impact of livestock worrying on farming communities through the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Act 2025, which received Royal Assent on 18 December 2025.
The 2025 Act amends the 1953 Act, introducing new measures to tackle the serious issue of livestock worrying, modernising the definitions and scope, strengthening police powers to collect evidence and prosecute offenders, and increasing the maximum penalty from a fine of £1,000 to an “unlimited” fine to act as a deterrent.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what analysis has been undertaken of the relative profitability trends in the (i) arable and (ii) livestock sectors since 2020.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra’s Farm Business Survey collects information on average Farm Business Income (the output generated by the farm business minus total farm costs, essentially net profit).
The survey covers farm businesses in England with a Standard Output of more than £21,000. Whilst it captures the majority of agricultural activity, it excludes smaller businesses (which account for 2% of output).
Table 1 of the Farm Business Income dataset shows average Farm Business Income, at current prices and in real terms, by type of farm (arable and livestock) for 2004/05 to 2024/25: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/691d8c2fd140bbbaa59a29e5/fbs_farmbusinesincome_timeseries_2024_25.ods.
Asked by: David Smith (Labour - North Northumberland)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what reassurance she can give to farmers whose cashflow relies on Higher Tier payments arriving in early December and who have not received their payments yet from the Rural Payments Agency.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The 2025 payment window opened on 1 December, and by mid-December around three quarters of eligible farmers had already received their Countryside Stewardship and Environmental Stewardship payments. The Agency continues to work hard improving payment performance and to deliver all remaining eligible Countryside Stewardship and Environmental Stewardship payments as quickly as possible.
Asked by: David Smith (Labour - North Northumberland)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the Rural Payments Agency’s performance in delivering Higher Tier and other payments in early December in line with past expectations.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The 2025 payment window opened on 1 December, and by mid-December around three quarters of eligible farmers had already received their Countryside Stewardship and Environmental Stewardship payments. The Agency continues to work hard improving payment performance and to deliver all remaining eligible Countryside Stewardship and Environmental Stewardship payments as quickly as possible.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of planning rule changes on on-farm infrastructure delivery.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government has worked with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to consider how changes to the National Planning Policy Framework can support various types of agricultural and rural business development and infrastructure. Government is currently consulting on these changes. National Planning Policy Framework: proposed reforms and other changes to the planning system - GOV.UK