Agritech Red Tape Slashed As Government Recognises Growth Potential

The UK government plans to cut red tape, streamline, and simplify farming and agritech regulations as part of a broader industrial strategy to accelerate agritech innovation, alongside wider agricultural growth. 

Described as a “significant drive” to simplify regulation across key growth sectors, the government said it aims to reduce the administrative cost of regulation by 25%. 

Regulatory reviews will also streamline and cut duplication of farming and agritech rules, and keep essential protections in place while supporting innovation. 

Underlining the political framing of agritech as a strategic growth sector, Secretary of State for Business and Trade Peter Kyle said the government is “placing big bets on the industries where Britain can win, backing innovators with real firepower, and cutting red tape that holds them back”.

The measures form part of the government's Industrial Strategy, published last year, which includes a commitment to continue investing in the Farming Innovation Programme. 

This followed lobbying from NFU, which led to agritech being recognised by the government as a key “frontier industry”. 

The NFU has welcomed the recognition of agritech’s growth potential and the move towards “better, smarter regulation”, but warns that deregulation alone will not unlock the sector’s full potential. 

“Better, smarter regulation has huge potential to unlock progress across our sector, and it’s good to see this direction of travel,” said NFU Deputy President David Exwood. 

Agritech Adoption Barriers Persist

The NFU said it has reiterated to the Department for Business and Trade that low profitability, limited access to capital, poor digital connectivity, and a lack of confidence to invest remain major barriers to agritech adoption on farms. 

NFU’s Exwood said the union will keep engaging with ministers while calling for a more stable policy environment to give farming businesses the confidence to invest. 

“We will continue engaging with the government on this work, while simultaneously pressing for a policy environment that gives farm businesses the stability they need to contribute fully to the UK’s growth ambitions,” Exwood commented.