Farmer Opinion Tracker for England: April 2023
Published 27 July 2023
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2023
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This report contains estimates from the Farmer Opinion Tracker providing a snapshot of views and opinions towards Defra’s vision for farming at this time. Farmers were asked questions about business planning, relationships with farming organisations and Defra, new schemes and the future of farming.
A time-series comparing the results from each survey from September 2019 to date can be found on GOV.UK as well as a dataset providing a more detailed breakdown of each question’s responses for farm ownership, size, type and region.
Key messages for April 2023
- Farmers on 64% of holdings said that they either fully (7%) or roughly (57%) understand Defra’s vision for farming, an increase from 60% in October 2022.
- Farmers on 35% of holdings indicated that they are making changes to their farm business and a further 43% said they will need to make changes to their farm business in the next 3 to 5 years.
- Farmers on 77% of holdings said that Defra paying for environmental outcomes will be very (57%) or moderately (20%) important to their business in the future.
- Farmers on 71% of holdings are not at all confident that changes to schemes and regulations will lead to a successful future for farming, an increase from 67% in October 2022.
- Farmers on 39% of holdings feel positive about their future in farming (6% very positive; 33% somewhat positive).
Farmers had the opportunity to share their thoughts on farming (i.e. what was on their mind at the time of the survey). The open text comments analysis in section 2 provides context around the statistics.
Section 1 - Detailed Results
1.1 Vision
Defra is setting out what they think the future for farming would look like. In this vision, England’s farmers improve the health of our environment and animals as part of a sustainable, productive agricultural sector. In April 2023, when asked if they know what Defra’s vision meant for farming, farmers on 64% of holdings said that they either fully (7%) or roughly (57%) understood Defra’s vision (see Figure 1). This is an increase from 60% in October 2022 (fully understand 6%; roughly understand 54%). A further 32% said they didn’t know but would be interested to know more. Farmers on the remaining 4% of holdings didn’t need to know what the future vision meant for farming.
Figure 1: Proportion of holdings that understand Defra’s vision for farming, October 2021 to April 2023
| Year | Yes, I fully understand Defra’s vision for farming | Yes, I know roughly | No, I don’t know, but would be interested to know more | No, I don’t need to know | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct-21 | 7% | 54% | 36% | 3% | 100% |
| Apr-22 | 9% | 57% | 30% | 4% | 100% |
| Oct-22 | 6% | 54% | 36% | 4% | 100% |
| Apr-23 | 7% | 57% | 32% | 4% | 100% |
1.2 Changes
In 2021, Defra started the transition away from the EU Common Agriculture Policy which will involve changes to the payments farmers receive and the regulations their businesses must follow. Farmers were asked whether they had all the information they needed at this point to help with their business planning (see Figure 2). In April 2023, farmers on 44% of holdings said they had all (7%) or most (37%) of the information they required. This is very similar to the proportion in October 2022 and a decrease from 48% in April 2022. In April 2023, a further 23% indicated that they didn’t have any information but knew where they could find it. Farmers on 24% of holdings said they didn’t have any of the information they needed for their business planning and were unsure where to find it. The remaining 9% of all holdings didn’t know if they had all the information they needed.
Figure 2: Proportion of holdings that have the information they need to inform business planning, October 2021 to April 2023
| Year | I have all the information I need | I have most of the information I need | I do not have any information but know where to find | I do not have any information and I don’t know where to find it | I don’t know | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct-21 | 5% | 33% | 24% | 30% | 8% | 100% |
| Apr-22 | 7% | 41% | 19% | 25% | 8% | 100% |
| Oct-22 | 6% | 37% | 20% | 29% | 8% | 100% |
| Apr-23 | 7% | 37% | 23% | 24% | 9% | 100% |
In April 2023, farmers on 78% of holdings said that they are currently (35%) or that they will need to make changes (43%) to their business in the next 3-5 years. Overall, this is similar to the proportion reported in October 2022 (Figure 3). A further 8% of farmers on all holdings indicated that they don’t need to make any changes to their farming business and the remaining 14% don’t know what changes they need to make.
Figure 3: Proportion of holdings that need to make changes to their farm business in the next 3 to 5 years, October 2022 to April 2023
| Year | I am making changes to my business | I will need to make changes to my business | I don’t need to change my business | I don’t know what changes I need to make | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct-22 | 33% | 44% | 7% | 16% | 100% |
| Apr-23 | 35% | 43% | 8% | 14% | 100% |
Note: This question changed in October 2022 to include the option “I am making changes to my business”. Data collected before the introduction of the additional option cannot be directly compared with data collected after the the additional option was introduced. Therefore, responses for previous surveys are not shown, but can be found in the related dataset.
Farmers who answered that they are making changes or that they will need to make changes to their farm business in the next 3 to 5 years were then asked what changes they are making or will need to make (see Figure 4). In April 2023, farmers on 45% of holdings said they would stay farming but diversify their business into non-farming areas. This proportion is a decrease from 48% in October 2022. Around 28% of farmers said they will stay farming but increase productivity and a further 24% said they will stay farming and grow the business. A number of farmers indicated that they would leave farming, as 11% are planning on retiring or passing the farm onto the next generation and 5% would leave farming for other reasons. Farmers on 5% of holdings stated other changes they plan to make to their farm business which included cutting costs and participating in environmental schemes.
Figure 4: Changes to farm business, October 2022 to April 2023
| Response | Oct-22 | Apr-23 |
|---|---|---|
| Stay farming but diversify business into non-farming areas | 48% | 45% |
| Stay farming but increase productivity | 29% | 28% |
| Stay farming and grow the business | 28% | 24% |
| Stay farming but change core agricultural enterprises | 20% | 20% |
| Stay farming but reduce the size of the business | 20% | 17% |
| Leave farming (planned retirement or pass onto next generation) | 7% | 11% |
| Leave farming (exit for other reasons) | 3% | 5% |
| Other | 5% | 5% |
Notes:
-
Farms could select more than one option.
-
Only respondents who answered “I am making changes to my business” or “I will need to make changes to my business” to the previous question (“Do you feel you will need to make changes to your business in the next 3-5 years?”) were shown this question in the survey.
These proportions varied across farms. Compared to 20% of all holdings, 38% of Mixed holdings intend to stay farming but change the core agricultural enterprise in April 2023. Whereas 14% of farmers on Grazing Livestock Lowland holdings are likely to make this change in the next 3 to 5 years (see Figure 5).
Figure 5: Proportion of holdings that plan to stay farming but change core agricultural enterprises, by farm type (April 2023)
| Category | Apr-23 |
|---|---|
| Mixed | 38% |
| Other crops | 29% |
| Pigs & Poultry | 23% |
| Cereals | 20% |
| Grazing Livestock LFA | 16% |
| Dairy | 15% |
| Grazing Livestock Lowland | 14% |
| All farms | 20% |
Notes:
-
Farms could select more than one option.
-
Only respondents who answered “I am making changes to my business” or “I will need to make changes to my business” to the previous question (“Do you feel you will need to make changes to your business in the next 3-5 years?”) were shown this question in the survey.
Farmers in the East Midlands and the South East including London are more likely to stay farming but diversify their business into non-farming areas in the next 3 to 5 years (53% and 51% of holdings, respectively) in April 2023. This option was not as popular for farmers in the North East, with only 17% selecting this option compared to 45% of all holdings (see Figure 6).
Figure 6: Proportion of holdings that plan to stay farming and diversify into non farming areas, by English region (April 2023)
| Category | Apr-23 |
|---|---|
| East Midlands | 53% |
| South East including London | 51% |
| South West | 50% |
| East | 48% |
| West Midlands | 46% |
| North West | 42% |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 35% |
| North East | 17% |
| All farms | 45% |
Notes:
-
Farms could select more than one option.
-
Only respondents who answered “I am making changes to my business” or “I will need to make changes to my business” to the previous question (“Do you feel you will need to make changes to your business in the next 3-5 years?”) were shown this question in the survey.
In April 2023, farmers on 24% of all holdings intend to stay farming and grow the business in the coming years, a decrease from 28% in October 2022. This proportion varied across farm size, with 34% of larger holdings and 29% of medium holdings selecting this option compared to 19% of small holdings (see Figure 7).
Figure 7: Proportion of holdings that plan to stay farming and grow the business, by farm size (April 2023)
| Category | Apr-23 |
|---|---|
| Large | 34% |
| Medium | 29% |
| Small | 19% |
| All farms | 24% |
Notes:
-
Farms could select more than one option.
-
Only respondents who answered “I am making changes to my business” or “I will need to make changes to my business” to the previous question (“Do you feel you will need to make changes to your business in the next 3-5 years?”) were shown this question in the survey.
All farmers were asked whether a range of external factors led them to make changes on their farm, regardless of whether they intend to make changes to their business in the next 3 to 5 years. In April 2023, input price changes remained the most commonly selected external factor that led farmers to make changes to their business with farmers on 87% of holdings selecting this option (see Figure 8). This was followed by output price changes (57%), weather / climate change (46%) and trade agreements with other countries (30%). The least commonly selected external factor leading farms to make changes to their business was food security and supply (28%).
Figure 8: Changes to farm business due to external factors, October 2022 to April 2023
| Response | Oct-22 | Apr-23 |
|---|---|---|
| Input price changes | 90% | 87% |
| Output price changes | 51% | 57% |
| Weather / climate change | 48% | 46% |
| Trade agreements with other countries | 24% | 30% |
| Food security and supply | 26% | 28% |
Notes:
-
Farms could select more than one option.
-
This question was added in October 2022.
In April 2023, farmers on 51% of holdings are either very (6%) or somewhat (45%) confident that they can respond to any changes that are needed. This is a decrease from 55% in October 2022 (very confident 6%; somewhat confident 49%). This proportion varies across farm types, as 56% of Dairy holdings are confident that they can make changes compared to 40% of Grazing Livestock LFA holdings. Farmers on 36% of all holdings are not at all confident they can respond to the changes needed and the remaining 13% are unsure (see Figure 9).
Figure 9: Proportion of holdings that are confident they can respond to changes, by farm type (April 2023)
| Category | Very confident | Somewhat confident | Not at all confident | I don’t know | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dairy | 6% | 50% | 30% | 14% | 100% |
| Other crops | 8% | 48% | 33% | 11% | 100% |
| Cereals | 6% | 47% | 37% | 10% | 100% |
| Grazing Livestock Lowland | 5% | 45% | 38% | 12% | 100% |
| Mixed | 3% | 46% | 32% | 19% | 100% |
| Pigs & Poultry | 7% | 40% | 37% | 16% | 100% |
| Grazing Livestock LFA | 6% | 34% | 42% | 18% | 100% |
| All farms | 6% | 45% | 36% | 13% | 100% |
1.3 Groups
Farming organisations and advisors have a role in helping farm businesses to adapt to the changes needed. In April 2023, farmers on 32% of holdings agreed (29%) or strongly agreed (3%) that these organisations were helping them to make changes. Overall, this proportion is no change from 32% in October 2022. Approximately 41% neither agreed or disagreed and a further 24% said they either disagreed (14%) or strongly disagreed (10%) that these organisations were helping them to make changes (see Figure 10).
Figure 10: Proportion of holdings that agree farming organisations and advisors are helping them make changes to their business, October 2021 to April 2023
| Year | Strongly agree | Agree | Neither agree nor disagree | Disagree | Strongly disagree | Not applicable | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct-21 | 4% | 30% | 42% | 16% | 7% | 1% | 100% |
| Apr-22 | 4% | 31% | 44% | 11% | 8% | 2% | 100% |
| Oct-22 | 4% | 28% | 44% | 15% | 7% | 2% | 100% |
| Apr-23 | 3% | 29% | 41% | 14% | 10% | 3% | 100% |
The future vision for farming involves farm businesses responding to both existing and new market demand for produce. In April 2023, farmers on 67% of holdings said that producing for the end market would currently be very important for their farm business with a further 25% indicating that it would be moderately important (see Figure 11). Only 5% said that it was not at all important.
Looking to the future, producing for the end market was said to be very important by 72% of holdings and 17% indicated that it would be moderately important in April 2023. Only 5% said it was not at all important and farmers on the remaining 6% of holdings were unsure.
Figure 11: Proportion of holdings that believe producing for the end market is important for their business, April 2023
| Response | Currently | In the future |
|---|---|---|
| Very important | 67% | 72% |
| Moderately important | 25% | 17% |
| Not at all important | 5% | 5% |
| I don’t know | 3% | 6% |
1.4 Environment
Defra’s vision for farming involves providing environmental outcomes. In April 2023, farmers on 73% of holdings said Defra paying for environmental outcomes was currently very (44%) or moderately (29%) important for their business (see Figure 12). A further 18% said that it was currently not at all important.
In April 2023, when asked how important it will be in the future for Defra to pay for environmental outcomes, farmers on 57% of holdings said it would be very important. A further 20% believed it would be moderately important and only 12% said that Defra paying for environmental outcomes in the future was not at all important.
Figure 12: Proportion of holdings that believe Defra paying for environmental outcomes would be important for their business, April 2023
| Response | Currently | In the future |
|---|---|---|
| Very important | 44% | 57% |
| Moderately important | 29% | 20% |
| Not at all important | 18% | 12% |
| I don’t know | 9% | 11% |
Environmental safeguards and standards in farming are maintained by both enforcing regulations and empowering individual responsibility. In April 2023, farmers on 30% of holdings either agreed (28%) or strongly agreed (2%) that the current approach balances enforcement with individual responsibility (see Figure 13). This is a decrease from 32% in October 2022 and a decrease from 35% in April 2022. Farmers on 39% of holdings neither agreed nor disagreed with the statement. A further 14% disagreed that the current approach balances enforcement with individual responsibility and 11% strongly disagreed. Farmers on the remaining 6% of holdings were unsure.
Figure 13: Proportion of holdings that agree the current approach balances enforcement with individual responsibility, October 2021 to April 2023
| Year | Strongly agree | Agree | Neither agree nor disagree | Disagree | Strongly disagree | I don’t know | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct-21 | 3% | 29% | 37% | 21% | 7% | 3% | 100% |
| Apr-22 | 2% | 33% | 37% | 15% | 9% | 4% | 100% |
| Oct-22 | 2% | 30% | 39% | 16% | 8% | 5% | 100% |
| Apr-23 | 2% | 28% | 39% | 14% | 11% | 6% | 100% |
Regulations protect the environment, farmed animals and public health. In April 2023, farmers on 81% of holdings are either very (23%) or somewhat (58%) confident that they understand which regulations apply to their farm. This is a decrease from 85% in October 2022 (very confident 22%; somewhat confident 63%). A further 15% are not at all confident and only 4% don’t know which regulations apply to their farm (see Figure 14).
Figure 14: Proportion of holdings that are confident they understand which regulations apply to their farm, October 2021 to April 2023
| Year | Very confident | Somewhat confident | Not at all confident | I don’t know | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct-21 | 28% | 57% | 13% | 2% | 100% |
| Apr-22 | 26% | 61% | 11% | 2% | 100% |
| Oct-22 | 22% | 63% | 13% | 2% | 100% |
| Apr-23 | 23% | 58% | 15% | 4% | 100% |
Farmers were asked to consider the regulations that apply to their farms (outside the rules associated with any payment schemes) and 27% of all holdings indicated that they fully understood the purpose of the rules in April 2023. This proportion varied by farm ownership; 27% of mixed holdings and 22% of fully owned holdings said they fully understood the purpose of the rules compared to 37% of tenanted holdings (see Figure 15). Farmers on 60% of all holdings say that they roughly understood the purpose of the rules which apply to their farm. A further 11% don’t understand the purpose but want to know and only 2% said that they don’t need to know.
Figure 15: Proportion of holdings that understand the purpose of the regulations which apply to their farm, by farm ownership (April 2023)
| Category | I fully understand the purpose | I roughly understand the purpose | I don’t understand but want to know | I don’t need to know | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owned | 22% | 63% | 13% | 2% | 100% |
| Tenanted | 37% | 54% | 7% | 2% | 100% |
| Mixed | 27% | 61% | 10% | 2% | 100% |
| All farms | 27% | 60% | 11% | 2% | 100% |
1.5 Relationships
Farmers were asked how confident they were that changes to schemes and regulations will lead to a successful future for farming and 71% of holdings said that they are not confident at all (see Figure 16) in April 2023. Approximately 21% of holdings indicated that they are either very (0%) or somewhat (21%) confident in the changes to the schemes. This is a decrease from 23% in October 2022 (very confident 1%; somewhat confident 22%). The remaining 8% of farmers on all holdings don’t know if the changes to schemes will result in a successful future for farming.
Figure 16: Proportion of holdings that are confident the changes to schemes and regulations will lead to a successful future in farming, October 2021 to April 2023
| Year | Very confident | Somewhat confident | Not at all confident | I don’t know | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct-21 | 1% | 24% | 68% | 7% | 100% |
| Apr-22 | 1% | 26% | 65% | 8% | 100% |
| Oct-22 | 1% | 22% | 67% | 10% | 100% |
| Apr-23 | 0% | 21% | 71% | 8% | 100% |
Defra and Defra agencies such as the Rural Payments Agency and Natural England are working together to deliver planned changes to schemes and regulations. In April 2023, farmers on 62% of holdings are not at all confident in Defra and Defra agency’s ability to deliver planned changes to schemes and regulations. This proportion is little changed from 63% in October 2022 (see Figure 17). In April 2023, a further 29% of holdings are either very (1%) or somewhat (28%) confident in Defra and Defra agency’s ability to deliver planned changes to schemes. Farmers on the remaining 9% of holdings are unsure.
Figure 17: Proportion of holdings that are confident in Defra and Defra agency’s abilities to work together to deliver changes to schemes and regulations, October 2021 to April 2023
| Year | Very confident | Somewhat confident | Not at all confident | I don’t know | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct-21 | 2% | 26% | 66% | 6% | 100% |
| Apr-22 | 2% | 32% | 58% | 8% | 100% |
| Oct-22 | 1% | 28% | 63% | 8% | 100% |
| Apr-23 | 1% | 28% | 62% | 9% | 100% |
The April 2023 survey showed that as part of delivering the changes, farmers on 50% of holdings are not at all confident that their relationship with Defra and Defra agencies (such as the Rural Payments Agency and Natural England) will develop positively in the future. This proportion is no change from 50% in October 2022. In April 2023, approximately 35% of holdings are either very (2%) or somewhat (33%) confident that their relationship with Defra will develop positively in the future. Farmers on the remaining 15% of holdings said that they were unsure (see Figure 18).
Figure 18: Proportion of holdings that believe their relationship with Defra and Defra agencies will develop positively in the future, October 2021 to April 2023
| Year | Very confident | Somewhat confident | Not at all confident | I don’t know | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct-21 | 3% | 33% | 52% | 12% | 100% |
| Apr-22 | 2% | 37% | 48% | 13% | 100% |
| Oct-22 | 2% | 35% | 50% | 13% | 100% |
| Apr-23 | 2% | 33% | 50% | 15% | 100% |
In April 2023, when asked to consider the changes to existing payments and regulations as well as the new schemes that will be available, farmers on 29% of holdings feel either very (1%) or somewhat (28%) positive about the future of farming (see Figure 19). This is a decrease from 35% in October 2022 (very positive 3%; somewhat positive 32%). In April 2023, farmers on 63% of all holdings are not at all positive about the future of farming and the remaining 8% are unsure.
Figure 19: Proportion of holdings that feel positive about the future of farming, October 2021 to April 2023
| Year | Very positive | Somewhat positive | Not at all positive | I don’t know | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct-21 | 4% | 32% | 55% | 9% | 100% |
| Apr-22 | 3% | 34% | 55% | 8% | 100% |
| Oct-22 | 3% | 32% | 57% | 8% | 100% |
| Apr-23 | 1% | 28% | 63% | 8% | 100% |
In April 2023, farmers on 39% of holdings felt positive about their own future in farming (very positive 6%; somewhat positive 33%). This is a decrease from 44% in October 2022. In April 2023, approximately 52% indicated that they are not at all positive and the remaining 9% are unsure how they feel about their own future in farming (see Figure 20).
Figure 20: Proportion of holdings that feel positive about their own future in farming, October 2021 to April 2023
| Year | Very positive | Somewhat positive | Not at all positive | I don’t know | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct-21 | 6% | 38% | 47% | 9% | 100% |
| Apr-22 | 7% | 40% | 41% | 12% | 100% |
| Oct-22 | 6% | 38% | 46% | 10% | 100% |
| Apr-23 | 6% | 33% | 52% | 9% | 100% |
Section 2 - Open Text Comments
382 out of the 1,391 respondents provided a comment. Below is a summary of the comments, focusing on those relevant to Defra and the Agricultural Transition.
Negative sentiments towards Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes were the most frequently occurring comments, with payments rates mentioned most often, and concerns around attractiveness of schemes or eligibility based on farm type.
It should be noted that people with strong views are more likely to comment. This can result in negative comments appearing more prevalent than might be the case i.e., respondents who are relatively content are less likely to provide comments. The survey was open for a set period and the comments reflect issues that are particularly salient at the time of completing the survey. Potential salience bias may impact on responses, with those issues that received significant media attention attracting more references and respondents being less likely to comment in detail on issues that were less salient but nonetheless important. It also means that policy updates made since the survey period will not have been accounted for in responses. A couple of examples of this are included below.
2.1 High level vision and clarity of future direction
There were some encouraging comments regarding Defra’s vision for farming, with some respondents agreeing that financial support should be tailored towards environmental benefits as well as for a productive future for farming. Some felt they had always had a similar vision for the future of farming to Defra stating that farmers “need to change”, or they had already enacted the changes encouraged by ELM schemes. Whilst there was some positivity about the vision it was cautioned that many in the industry do not feel this way and, there might be an “uphill battle” to affect change in the sector where many have a deep resistance to change. Others felt they understood the vision and saw where Defra “would like to be” but were unsure about its “viability” for farming.
There were a number of negative comments about the vision set out for farming. Some felt that the vision is being driven by green pressure groups, with too much focus on environmental outcomes. A few respondents believed that the vision will inadvertently damage the environment “without profitable agriculture alongside”. Others felt that the vision doesn’t reflect an understanding of farming and felt that farmers as food producers are undervalued. Several comments suggested the vision is taking farming in the wrong direction, especially that production is not enough of a focus of the vision.
There were a few comments indicating a lack of confidence in Defra and the way agencies work together, and therefore didn’t agree that Defra’s vision is the future of farming. A small number wanted to cut ties with Defra and future payments completely, to farm as they see fit.
Some didn’t understand the vision at all and want more information, feeling they have “no idea what is expected or wanted of [them] as a farmer”. Some questioned the control Defra has to deliver the vision in the face of external political, environment and social factors.
2.2 Food security, production, and imports
A large number of comments were concerned with food security. This is a theme that became particularly apparent in 2022 with the war in Ukraine causing disruption to global food supply chains. Whilst the war in Ukraine is mentioned in the comments of this tracker, it is at a much lower frequency than in 2022 trackers. Many felt that the Agricultural Transition will result in reduced production and food security, with a belief that government is not taking it seriously enough with land being taken out of food production in favour of new environmental schemes.
Some responses noted that there can be a balance of production and the environment. However, many felt that the balance is too far towards environmental objectives and not enough towards the production of food. A smaller number took an opposite view, stating that the environment is the driver behind their businesses.
Several comments were concerned about food security, imported food and trade deals. A few suggested that food security is being sacrificed in England whilst “offshoring” environmental negatives. Some respondents believed that imported foods are produced more cheaply than English food by adhering to lower standards and therefore not giving a level playing field. A few responses specifically mentioned recent trade deals as being an issue for them in terms of affecting profitability. There was a perception from some that the environmental ambition of ELM schemes is making English farming less competitive globally by prioritising environmental aims over food production and that imported foods do not have to contend with this.
2.3 Business viability
As in previous trackers, continuing business viability was frequently mentioned. The theme of business viability was linked to a number of other topics such as imports and trade deals, basic payment withdrawal, and ELM scheme payment rates.
There was some positive sentiment expressed around diversification into non-farming businesses being recognised as a way to help with farm resilience and to cover costs. However, some were less positive about diversification, feeling it is something they can do, but should not have to. Others were positive about grants e.g., for slurry store covers, and their impact on business viability.
Output prices were raised as an issue, with many feeling they are too low. It was pointed out that grants and payments are only helpful in the context of farms able to make a profit; they are not enough to rely on alone. There was also discussion of the importance of fair market prices where risks that farmers must take were increasing, but with no commensurate increase in prices offered to them from buyers.
A number of comments suggest fear for the future of the industry, seeing it as unsustainable without support, including higher scheme payments.
2.4 Specific farm types
The diversity of farms in England was highlighted, and the fact that different farm types have different challenges. Small farms, tenant farms, livestock and dairy farms, and farms on less favourable land were commonly mentioned as farm types seen as being disproportionately affected by the Agricultural Transition.
The majority of comments raising issues about specific farm types mentioned small farms. Those respondents highlighted that they felt that small farms will struggle with new schemes perceived to be set up for larger farms.
Tenant farms were the next most often mentioned. In these comments there was a feeling that these farms are not being supported by Defra, with a belief that scheme payments will be absorbed by landlords via rent increases, or by moving tenants off their land.
A few comments felt that new schemes were aimed at arable farmers and not at livestock or dairy farmers. A small number mentioned upland or hill farms being “left behind” and in need of greater support due to the challenging nature of the land they farm or the “environmental and landscape benefit” that they already deliver.
2.5 Environmental Land Management schemes
There were a large number of comments regarding ELM schemes, similar to previous trackers, covering a number of topics such as payment rates, scheme complexity, and the aims of ELM schemes. Overall, there was mixed sentiment. Several respondents submitted positive comments liking the overall aims of the scheme and seeing the schemes as a good way to achieve those aims.
As with previous trackers, the issue of scheme complexity was raised, with some remaining fairly positive, hoping to look into schemes more fully in the future, but noting that it takes some time to understand them, and that they often do not have the time needed to do so. However, there were a number of more negative comments. Some found new schemes too complex. There were a few that felt that they need more certainty or information to commit to schemes or felt that they have not been fully developed.
Several comments questioned whether the new Environmental Land Management schemes could deliver the expected environmental benefits. Numerous comments articulated a view that scheme design doesn’t take into account an understanding of farming. These comments focused on the need to treat farms individually, increasing flexibility within schemes, as well as the time and costs associated with engagement in schemes.
Payment rates of ELM schemes were raised often, with many respondents arguing that payment rates were too low and disincentivised participation within the schemes.
Some responses felt that ELM schemes do not offer them benefits due to the type of farm they run e.g., small farms or fruit farms, or because they are already doing the things that schemes are trying to encourage.
2.6 Working with Defra
There were many comments relating to Defra and Arm’s Length Bodies (ALBs) and their relationship with the farming community. There were some positive comments with praise for Defra representatives and a willingness to listen and find solutions that work for farming. However, there was also a number of more negative comments around a few different issues. These issues included paperwork, leadership and staff and their motivations, as well as a perceived lack of practical experience in farming or understanding of farming in general.
A few comments mentioned dissatisfaction with ALBs citing reasons such as disagreeing with their strategies, the number or lack of flexibility in the rules, and that they are too complex to easily understand.
2.7 What’s Different Now? (Comparison to previous results)
A higher proportion of respondents chose to provide comments compared to the previous survey, although the total number of responses (and comments) were lower. There were some notable differences to the previous tracker.
Like the previous surveys (October 2022, and April 2022), comments relating to food security were again widespread. The war in Ukraine was mentioned less explicitly than in the last tracker when commenting on food security, a continuation of the trend from April 2022 to October 2022. Concerns for food security in April 2023 tended to focus more on a perception that the policy direction was to reduce UK food production in favour of environmental targets and a more general fear of relying on imports of food given world events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and global conflicts.
Although still an issue for some, the number feeling that they lacked information or clarity of direction was lower than in October 2022, but with that has come an increase in the number of respondents saying that they feel overwhelmed or confused by the guidance and information available and struggling to find the information most relevant to them.
In contrast to the October 2022 survey, input costs were rarely mentioned, but there was a large increase in output prices mentioned with many farmers feeling that they are “price takers not price makers”. This left some feeling that they could not achieve a price that would allow them to run a viable business with the risk of potential food shortages.
Since the tracker recorded these results, Defra have provided more information at both strategic policy direction and scheme specific levels, for example via their farming blog. Announcements were made after the Farm to Fork Summit in May 2023 where the Prime Minister brought together representatives from across the whole UK food supply chain to discuss how government and industry can work together to support a thriving UK food industry. Also, in May 2023 the government published its response to the Rock Review, setting out its next steps to support tenant farmers based on the recommendations made by Baroness Rock, and to make them more accessible and workable. In May, the government also committed to publish a Land Use Framework this year to ensure food security is balanced alongside climate and environment outcomes. In June 2023 further details were released on improvements to the Sustainable Farming Incentive, a key part of ELM schemes.
Section 3 - What you need to know about this release
3.1 Contact details
Statistics
Responsible statistician: Helen Mason
Team: Farming Statistics - Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Email address: Farming-Statistics@defra.gov.uk
Telephone: 03000 600170
Social Research
Responsible social researcher: Peter Smith
Team: Future Farming Insights and Evaluation - Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
3.2 Official statistics status
Official statistics are produced to the high professional standards and comply with the United Kingdom Statistics Authority’s Code of Practice for Statistics. The Code of Practice for Statistics sets the standards that producers of official statistics should commit to. Compliance with the Code gives you confidence that our published statistics have public value, are high quality, and are produced by people and organisations that are trustworthy.
Section 4 - About these statistics
4.1 Methodology
The Farmer Opinion Tracker provides a snapshot of views and opinions towards Defra’s vision for farming as at April 2023. Farmers were asked questions about Defra’s vision for farming, business planning, relationships with farming organisations and Defra and the future of farming.
The results provided in this report are based on surveys sent to a representative sub-sample of the farming community in England, approximately 6,000 holdings. The survey was voluntary and 1,391 responses were received (including some partial responses), resulting in a response rate of around 23%.
There are no question changes since the last survey was run.
To be included in the main sample, holdings had to have at least 50 cattle, 100 sheep, 100 pigs, 1,000 poultry or 20 hectares of arable crops or orchards. Therefore, all results given in this statistical report reflect just over 60 thousand holdings that exceed these thresholds out of the total English population of almost 107 thousand commercial holdings.
4.2 Data analysis
Results have been analysed using a standard methodology for stratified random surveys to produce national estimates. With this method, all of the data are weighted according to the inverse sampling fraction.
4.3 Accuracy and reliability of the results
We show 95% confidence intervals against the results in the Farmer Opinion Tracker dataset. These show the range of values that may apply to the figures. They mean that we are 95% confident that this range contains the true value. They are calculated as the standard errors (se) multiplied by 1.96 to give the 95% confidence interval (95% CI). The standard errors only give an indication of the sampling error. They do not reflect any other sources of survey errors, such as non-response bias.
4.4 Uses and Users
The survey was set up to collect farmer opinion on the future for farming in England prior to, and during, the Agricultural Transition. The aim is to be open and transparent about what we are hearing from the farming community and then acknowledge and respond to areas where we need to improve. The data collected via this survey will be used to create a baseline dataset of farmer opinion which can then be monitored over time to see how it is changing as we move through the agricultural transition period.
4.5 Definitions
Region
This refers to the ITL1 regions in England, for the purposes of this analysis we have combined the South East with London.
Farm type
This refers to the “robust type”, which is a standardised farm classification system. Farms are split into Dairy, Grazing Livestock Less Favoured Areas (LFA), Grazing Livestock Lowland, Mixed, Other crops, Cereals and Pigs & Poultry (Specialist Pigs and Specialist Poultry combined).
Farm sizes
This is based on the estimated labour requirements for the holding, rather than its land area. The farm size bands used within the detailed results tables which accompany this publication are shown in the table below. Standard Labour Requirement (SLR) is defined as the theoretical number of workers required each year to run a holding, based on its cropping and livestock activities.
| Farm size | Definition |
|---|---|
| Small | Less than 2 SLR |
| Medium | 2 to less than 3 SLR |
| Large | 3 or more SLR |
Farm ownership
This is based on data from the June Survey of Agriculture and Horticulture. The types are split into:
- Owned - all area on the holding is owned
- Tenanted - All area on the holding is rented under a Full Agricultural Tenancy, Full Business Tenancy, Other agreement or is seasonally rented in (364 days or less)
- Mixed - area on the holding is a mixture of owned and tenanted
4.6 Future publications
The Farmer Opinion Survey for England was first run in Autumn 2019. The survey was set up to collect opinion prior to, and during, the agricultural transition which is the period of the Future Farming and Countryside Programme. Therefore, it is expected the survey will run every 6 months until 2028. Please note, only one survey was run in 2020 as Covid disrupted data collection.
The next survey will be run in Autumn 2023. The publication date will be announced on the research and statistics webpage on gov.uk.
To view previous statistical releases and the full breakdown of results, please visit the Farm Opinion Tracker collection.