Farming & Forestry - Threats & Challenges

Uncertainties in the profitability of both farming and agriculture make business planning difficult, and have a resulting impact on investment and management.

Increasing paperwork and the need to meet new regulations, both have an impact on the time and workload of the farming and forestry sectors.

We have yet to see the impact of decoupling of subsidy for food production and the introduction of other incentives.  Opportunities will be available for new approaches.  Countryside stewardship take up on the Island has been good, and Woodland grant schemes and JIGSAW offer strong incentives for woodland creation and management.  There is still a need for easier access to advice for land mangement incentive schemes.

Increases in small farm units (demonstrated by the Farm Census data) and an increase in ownership rather than tenancy, will both have impacts on land use.  Small fields and woodland plots sell to those who may not have experience of land management, or who wish to use them for leisure and amenity purposes.

Diversification

Identifying niche and specialist markets, and producing products or services that can bring in a higher margin are still useful ways to supplement traditional incomes.  Linking those who earn a living from managing the land to emerging rural markets, to ensure future sympathetic management of the AONB.  The conversion of redundant farm buildings can provide income and retain buildings of local importance.  Development of this nature should be sympathetic and appropriate to the historic environment and nature conservation, and should be sustainable.  It should not result in the need to provide new farm buildings, which are often less sympathetic to their location as they are of generic design.  If new structures are essential, they should be carefully sited and, where possible, constructed in a suitable material.

Open access legislation is soon due to commence.  The majority of areas on the Isle of Wight identified on the provisional map are within the AONB; few areas have not already experienced a degree of permissive open access on foot.  Trespass and inappropriate access can still cause difficulties to the farming and forestry sector.

Arable and mixed farming is important to the character of the AONB, contributing to the special qualities of a number of landscape character types (southern coastal farmland, intensive agricultural land, chalk downs).  It is necessary to identify the impact this has on the natural and historic environments of the AONB.  Stocking density of livestock, for example, is an important factor in managing chalk downland.

Off-Island transport costs have profit and welfare implications.  Linking local consumers to local markets will help to provide a viable farming and forestry sector.  The need for an abattoir and timber treatment plant is acknowledged; both would help a local market to develop.

May open up opportunities to grow new and different crops.  However, it may equally lead to irregular rainfall, with periods of drought and flash flooding which have implications for land managers.