Farmers sell up to English winemakers enjoying a boom
FARMERS are swapping crops for vines to cash in on the English wine boom as it becomes a more promising proposition than growing food.
An increasing number of farmers are either selling up completely or leasing their land to English winemakers amid record grape harvests in the UK.
Andrew Carter, chief executive of English winemaker Chapel Down, said: “Viticulture is the fastest growing agricultural sector. So for farmers and generations of farmers that are owning land for arable or fruit, there is a far more profitable model to move to vines if they have the right characteristics, terroir or altitude.”
Tamara Roberts, chief executive of Ridgeview, a winemaker based in East Sussex, said: “With there being very high demand for vineyards, the pricing on land suitable for viticulture – leasing and purchase – is currently way above the returns from farming or other alternative uses.”
It comes amid strained relations between supermarkets and farmers over alleged unfair payment practices.
In addition, farmers are facing soaring prices and concerns over the transition from EU payments to new green subsidies, forcing many to leave the sector altogether.
While some are selling up, others are converting their land to vineyards and starting their own English wine brands.
“The reality is we have to keep diversifying,” said Hannah Buisman, who has overseen the planting of 15 acres of vines at her family farm in Hertfordshire, Lokkelebery Vineyard. “How do you make ends meet when you’re in a changing climate and we perhaps don’t have joined-up policies yet?
“We are effectively having to mitigate all of that risk ourselves. The reality is you get people packing up or looking for other options.
“A lot of people forget that farmers are price takers, not price makers. Not only is it incredibly volatile due to the climate, but we’ve obviously had our diminishing basic payment scheme [EU payments that are being phased out post-brexit], we’ve had Brexit to contend with, not to mention Covid.”
While the business of growing food and other crops has become more precarious, demand for English wine has soared, contributing to a rapid expansion by domestic producers seeking out suitable land. The amount of land under vine in Britain is predicted to rise from 4,600 hectares this year to 7,600 hectares by 2032, according to industry association Winegb.
Warming temperatures mean the South and South East are now capable of producing wines said to rival those of Champagne and other prominent French regions. Some French champagne houses have bought up land in England themselves.
Ms Buisman said: “Although it’s risky in itself, in the grand scheme of farming this is actually our risk mitigator, because we can expect a generally good crop every year, we set the price.
“As long as we don’t get frost or some awful disease, we’ve got a product and, not only that, we can spin off into hospitality and various other things.”