The government has published its 25 Year Environment Plan.

The main issues affecting farmers are the government's change in land management system, water management, fertiliser and pesticide pollution and soil improvement.

Here are the governent's proposed actions:

1. Designing and delivering a new environmental land management system

Action to be taken is:

• Retaining and further improving targeted support for more complex environmental improvements, backed up by specialist advice.

• Exploring new and innovative funding and delivery mechanisms as part of a new environmental land management system. These may include private payments for eco-system services, reverse auctions and conservation covenants (see later section).

2. Introducing new farming rules for water

Action to be taken is:

• Enforcing regulations for new farming rules for water from April 2018.

• Reviewing the progress of the new rules after three years.

3. Working with farmers to use fertilisers efficiently

Action to be taken:

• Putting in place a robust framework to limit inputs of nitrogen-rich fertilisers such as manures, slurries and chemicals to economically efficient levels, and make sure they are stored and applied safely.

• Introducing clear rules, advice and, if appropriate, financial support.

• Working with industry to encourage the use of low emissions fertiliser, and reviewing the levels of take-up using data from the British Fertiliser Practice Survey.

4. Protecting crops while reducing the environmental impact of pesticides

Action to be taken:

• Ensuring that the regulation of pesticides continues to develop with scientific knowledge and is robust and fit for purpose, so as to protect people and the environment. We will maintain this direction after exiting the EU.

• Putting Integrated Pest Management (IPM) at the heart of a holistic approach, by developing and implementing policies that encourage and support sustainable crop protection with the minimum use of pesticides.

• Reviewing the UK National Action Plan for the Sustainable Use of Pesticides in 2018.

• Supporting further restrictions on neonicotinoid pesticides, in line with scientific evidence. Any continuing use should be limited and permitted only where the environmental risks are shown to be very low.