Subsidies to continue for hill farmers

Defra secretary Michael Gove has told the House of Commons Defra committee that subsidies for hill farmers will continue beyond 2022. He said, 'Farmers in less favoured areas, and upland hill farmers who are producing sheep meat as well as wool ... will need support for several years to come.'

Whether payments would still be made on an area basis is unclear.

Mr Gove was not sympathetic to the NFU argument that subsidies were needed to prevent the UK becoming more reliant on imports. I have always been sceptical about the idea of self-sufficiency targets.