Agriculture Strategy

Overview

Following industry-wide consultation the current Agricultural strategy ‘Delivering a Reliable, Sustainable, Self-reliant Manx Agriculture’ which introduced the single-farm payment model was introduced in 2008. Delivery has continued through the Countryside Care Scheme (CCS) and latterly the Agricultural Development Scheme (ADS). It is proposed that the strategy for the next ten years (2019-2029) will still be delivered through the ADS. However a diversion of a proportion of the existing budget away from flat-rate payments, together with a proposed increase in budget will provide targeting funding for a variety of environmental and commercial initiatives that will provide a sustainable future for farm businesses and the rural environment.  

Why your views matter

The Minister, the Hon. Geoffrey Boot MHK made a commitment following his Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) Ministerial appointment, to change the way agricultural support is delivered. Particularly in relation to supporting active farmers and production, to ensure that economic activity is maximised and the processors, particularly the Meat Plant, are viable. On this topic, his 2016 election manifesto stated:

“Work with farmers to bring back some certainty to the system that will enable young people to continue farming, preserve our landscape and provide viability for our meat processing facilities (exploit post Brexit opportunities)”.

Following almost a year of the Department working on headage and partial-headage models, these were tested with the industry at a Manx National Farmers’ Union (MNFU) EGM. The proposals were debated and did not gain the support of the members vote. In parallel, the Department concluded that for practical reasons the proposals would have been hard to deliver.

Subsequently, the Department has worked with the MNFU to deliver the high level Agricultural Strategy proposals that are now being proposed. In addition to delivering for productive agriculture, there is a strong commitment on delivering biodiversity, climate change mitigation, catchment management and Biosphere objectives, which are core objectives of the wider Department and Government.

What happens next

Following this public consultation process, the Department will further refine the details of the strategy. It will then go through Government approval processes, culminating in the Department seeking approval at Tynwald for the Strategy and the associated funding package required to deliver it.