On Wednesday 15 July, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) announced a package of measures to secure the long-term future of Dartmoor’s pony populations.
What DEFRA announced
Under the new measures, Dartmoor ponies will be removed from stocking rate calculations in new Environmental Management agreements, so farmers no longer face a choice between keeping ponies and maintaining sheep or cattle. This implements recommendation 27 of the 2023 Fursdon Review, an independent review of protected site management on Dartmoor.
Pony numbers will also be monitored across the moor to keep populations stable, and a new dedicated pony supplement will be introduced into farming schemes to remove any financial incentive to reduce pony numbers. The government has additionally asked the Dartmoor Land Use Management Group to develop a whole-moor grazing framework so that all interests on the moor are considered together.
DEFRA has described Dartmoor as one of England’s most important and distinctive landscapes, home to internationally important habitats and wildlife, though large parts of the moor remain in long-term ecological decline. Achieving the right balance of grazing, DEFRA says, is essential to supporting both nature recovery and the long-term future of the moor’s farming communities.
The TFA’s response
The Tenant Farmers Association (TFA) National Vice Chair and Dartmoor farmer, Helen Radmore, has welcomed the announcement but says the government needs to go further. Her full response is below:
“It is good to see DEFRA and Natural England taking a flexible approach and adjusting its policy according to need. With this new approach it will be important for DEFRA to consider how it will monitor and manage pony populations going forward.
In addition, we need to go much further than just looking at ponies. We need to reconsider the stocking rates for hefted sheep and cattle too. Currently DEFRA and Natural England seek to impose a standard stocking rate across every upland common whether that is in Cumbria, the Peak District or on Dartmoor when farmers and graziers enter into Environmental Land Management Schemes. That broad brush approach is inappropriate and must change.
At the very least, we need to recognise the inherent differences between the various Upland Commons in the country. Much of Dartmoor’s problems comes from under grazing as opposed to overgrazing and a more focused, scientific approach to stocking rates and management must be a priority. For too long Natural England has been fixated with stock reductions as a means to improve environmental conditions but that is clearly not working. An urgent rethink is necessary.”
The TFA will continue to press DEFRA and Natural England on the need for a more tailored, common-by-common approach to stocking rates as part of ongoing engagement on Environmental Land Management Schemes.
This blog was prepared by Julia Meadows, TFA Communications and Events Coordinator.
Related articles:
DEFRA Announcement: Government secures the future of Dartmoor’s iconic ponies
TFA Blog #356 – Dartmoor in the Balance: Ponies, Cattle and Sheep Facing an Uncertain Future
TFA Blog #351 – New £30 Million Wildlife-Rich Habitat Fund for Protected Landscapes
Fursdon Review – Independent review of protected site management on Dartmoor
Watch On Demand – TFA Webinar: The Dartmoor Review: Conclusions and Impact for Other Protected Sites
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