UK Government plans new strategies to protect the winter soil for 2021

The UK Government has declared that the barren fields of winters could be effectively turned into greens if the farmers are paid for cultivation in those regions. 

The UK Government has made this decision in an attempt to transform the cold, barren plots of land into an area of rich vegetation that would also promote the binding of soil. This has also been attempted to decrease the loss of soil fertility and erosion in those regions.

The main strategy behind the plan proposed by the UK Government is to protect the valuable topsoil on the land rather than seeing it washed by rainwater during heavy rainfall. Topsoil is that layer of the soil profile that is rich in humus and also it contains many nutrients and minerals. Although the topsoil is a reservoir of nutrients that allows the growth of vegetation, it is also most prone to being eroded as it lies on the surface of the earth’s crust.

The strategy planned by the UK Government has also received strong criticisms from the mass stating that it would not be effective to reverse nature’s crisis in that region.

Let us move forward with the article to know about the changes and will the reform planned by the government really be effective to control the crisis?

Strategy Imposed by the UK Government:

The UK Government has imposed the changes as a part of the broad post-Brexit reform of the subsidies that would be paid to the farmers.

Under the EU’s Common Agricultural policy, it has been declared that the farmers would receive taxpayers’ cash proportional to the amount of land they owned- the major proportions of land the farmer holds the greater subsidy he would receive.

The UK Government has been presented with the question of whether the subsidy changes would be held back till 2025 and what are steps the government is planning to take the protect the interests of the rural communities that will help in England’s rural revolutions. And the most important question was the reason behind farmers being paid by the taxpayers.

The EU scheme has accumulated revenue of around 1.8 billion euros. But, the Government has now changed the objective of the scheme and said that the public money would only be used for public well-being. 

That means that the farmers will only receive a subsidy for protecting species, planting trees, reducing the rates of greenhouse gases emission, and even protecting the natural resources of that region. This includes the water resources and protection of the topsoil to prevent the loss of its vigor.

All the nations in the UK have their own fam support plans, but the Ministers strongly have faith that the strategy in England- The Sustainable Farming Incentive- will encourage seventy percent of farmers to cultivate most of the land during the winter season with suitable crops that include grasses, beans, brassicas or herbs. 

The crops will not be cultivated for the objective of harvesting. This is only to improve the topsoil quality in that region to undo nature’s crisis.

People all around the world believe that the soil is the most neglected natural resource although it is an integral component for building an ecosystem and enhancing the fertility of the crops. 

The UK Government has ensured that the strategy is followed by the majority of the farmers by the following plans:

Grant Payments:

Many British farmers are already conserving their natural resources for a long time. Now, they will be compensated for their goodwill whereas they were not previously rewarded well.

The Scheme would unfold in a step-by-step process to prevent the entire farming system in the region from collapsing. The government has shown interest that the farmers would also be provided with incentives in the near future for the minimum use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers.

They will also be encouraged to bring the sustainable method of cultivation into an account that includes integrated pest management. The latter refers to the concept of farming in which the pests are kept in check by various natural methods such as pheromone traps or using neem cakes etc and mechanical methods such as trapping, weeding, etc. It is considered one of the eco-friendly methods of cultivation and does not completely eliminate any species from the ecosystem. 

The UK Government has promised the farmers an amount of 22 euros per hectare of land that will be covered for the soil management plan. The subsidy has been fixed for initial experimentation and the farmers must cultivate at least 70 % of the land. 

The Environment Minister has talked about the issue and has stated the priorities of the scheme. The main intention of the long-term plan is to reduce the decline of species abundance in that region, to cut down the emission of greenhouse gases, to plant 10,000 hectares of trees per year in England, to flourish the farming industry, and to improve the quality of water resources. 

The farmers would also be provided with additional facilities, example: they would have free access to vet annually and even be provided with welfare visits.

The vice president of the Farmers’ union has broken his silence on the scheme and said that more information should be revealed to make informed decisions. He felt that the issues of the farmers should be addressed so that they can further work with full efficiency to deliver what is promised in the scheme. 

Many farmers have also expressed confusion as they would shift from order to a newer regime.

Wrap up:

The UK is regarded as one of the countries that have experienced nature’s crisis in a brutal way. The scheme introduced by the government can be regarded as a milestone to achieve bigger goals in the future. 

Do let us know your opinion regarding the UK Government’s strategy.

edited and proofread by nikita sharma