The Government’s decision to scrap its funding for the National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs has been called short-sighted and damaging to the rural economy by a leading agricultural figure.
Richard Rankin, CEO of H&H Group, said Defra’s decision to not renew its discretionary grant after almost 30 years of support, should not go unchallenged.
In an open letter, Mr Rankin said: “Young Farmer Clubs provide a crucial support network for thousands of young people who cannot access what their suburban counterparts take for granted.
“And it needs to be remembered that it is their commitment and dedication to farming that are vital to the future of the industry and our nation’s food security.
“In fact, should we not be incentivising and actively encouraging this next generation to pick up the baton, continue producing food of the highest quality whilst working towards environmental regeneration?
“Withdrawing financial support from the Young Farmers Clubs is not just short-sighted, it’s fundamentally damaging to the very communities that keep our countryside alive.
“In Cumbria alone, where H&H Group has been deeply involved in the rural economy and the lives of our farmers for nearly 150 years, some 1,500 members rely on the county’s 22 Young Farmers Clubs for access to vital training, community, and mental health support.
“These aren’t optional extras. In some of the most remote rural areas, where suicide rates are already among the highest in the country, the Young Farmers’ network can be a literal lifeline.
In Cumbria, Young Farmers Clubs provide meaningful support and each one makes a difference to its members across communities throughout the county.
“In removing this funding, the Government risks isolating the next generation of our farmers at a time when the challenges of cost inflation, climate change, and the threat of Inheritance Tax are already forcing many young people whose families have farmed their land for centuries to consider other careers.
“The saving, in the region of tens of thousands to Government will not even be noticed, however the overall cost to our rural communities could be devastating. My question is simple: why take away so much, for the saving of so little?”
