Small Farms
Debate between Baroness McIntosh of Pickering and Lord Kennedy of Southwark
Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms and Chief Whip (Lord Kennedy of Southwark) (Lab Co-op)
It is the turn of the Conservative Benches.
Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Con)
My Lords, does the noble Lord share my concern that, on the figures I have, 6,365 agriculture businesses have closed in the last year? That is the highest number of businesses to close in farming since 2017. Will he bring forward SFI to new entrants as a matter of urgent priority? Payments under the basic farm payment scheme in England are going down much faster than anyone envisaged, and this is causing real hardship for those who farm in the hills and dales of northern England.