The changes to agricultural policy after Brexit, which will be brought in over seven years up to 2028, have met mixed reviews from farming and countryside organisations.

The new roadmap from the Government spells out how 'direct payments', paid out under the basic payment scheme for the amount of land farmed, will start to be reduced from 2021 on the way to being phased out by 2028.

The Government has committed to maintaining the £2.4 billion per year for farming over this parliament, but plans to halve the £1.8 billion paid in direct payments by 2024, with the biggest reductions in the highest payment bands.

The £900 million saved will go towards introducing an "environmental land management" (ELM) scheme which will reward farmers for sustainable farming practices, creating new habitats and rewilding land.

Environment Secretary George Eustice will say today: "We want farmers to access public money to help their businesses become more productive and sustainable, whilst taking steps to improve the environment and animal welfare, and deliver climate change outcomes on the land they manage.

"Rather than the prescriptive, top down rules of the EU era, we want to support the choices that farmers and land managers take.

"If we work together to get this right, then a decade from now the rest of the world will want to follow our lead."

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Mark Bridgeman, president of the Country Land and Business Association which represents 30,000 rural businesses, said the ELM scheme had the potential to "be a genuinely world-leading policy" but the transition was fraught with risk.

"Many farmers will find it hard to see past the drastic cuts to the basic payment scheme, that begin next year", he said.

"The average family farm will see cuts of over 50 per cent before the new schemes are fully available in 2024.

"The Government has announced the sustainable farming incentive to help bridge the gap, but with only a month to go before the transition phase begins, we have no details whatsoever about how this will work on the ground and the level of investment it will provide," he warned.

Dr Richard Benwell, chief executive of environmental and nature coalition Wildlife and Countryside Link, said the elements of the ELM scheme could "stack up to be a really effective boost for environmental recovery".

But, he said: "To contribute to nature's recovery, it's vital that the Government sets a clear trajectory toward higher regulatory standards that every farmer will be expected to meet without subsidy, and how they will be fairly but firmly enforced.

"This should go hand in hand with plans to pay really well for farmers who go further and deliver extra enhancements for wildlife, habitats and public access to nature."

He added: "Combined with uncertainty for farmers over exports, tariffs and standards in trade deals post-Brexit, there's a foggy future for farming ahead."

He urged the Government to give more clarity on the direction of travel and regulation.

National Farmers' Union president Minette Batters said: "Expecting farmers to run viable, high-cost farm businesses, continue to produce food and increase their environmental delivery, while phasing out existing support and without a complete replacement scheme for almost three years is high risk and a very big ask.

"There are also many uncertainties during this policy transition, not least new trading arrangements after we leave the transition period, as well as the national recovery from Covid-19 and the global challenge of climate change. Moreover, the long-running price war in UK retail often sees farming and growing caught in the crossfire.

"So ministers must bear these challenges in mind and use the transition period to also address abuses of market power which not only damage farm businesses but also consumer choice and availability."