Emma Bedford
Senior Team Lead Food & Agriculture
UK farmers and Brexit - statistics & facts
Brexit, the formal withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, occurred in January of 2020. This withdrawal marked the end of a 47 yearlong agreement with the EU. Until the end of that year, access to the European market remained largely unaffected. As of January 2021, however, several political and economic consequences had arisen. Contrary to historic growth, the total income in the UK from farming decreased in 2015-2016, when Brexit was first announced, and again in 2020, when Brexit occurred.
As of 2022, the total income generated from farming in the UK amounted to just under eight billion British pounds. This shows a strong recovery in farming income after a five percent drop in 2020. With the withdrawal from the EU, farmers currently receive no payments under the EU’s common agricultural policy. In addition to the cuts in subsidies for farmers, poor weather conditions, the COVID-19 pandemic, and inflationary pressures resulted in challenges for farmers since Brexit.
As of 2022, the total income generated from farming in the UK amounted to just under eight billion British pounds. This shows a strong recovery in farming income after a five percent drop in 2020. With the withdrawal from the EU, farmers currently receive no payments under the EU’s common agricultural policy. In addition to the cuts in subsidies for farmers, poor weather conditions, the COVID-19 pandemic, and inflationary pressures resulted in challenges for farmers since Brexit.
