This cash injection will maintain the level of funding for Direct Payments at the same rate as was the case in 2019.

Commenting on the announcement, Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) President Ivor Ferguson said: “With the UK set to leave the EU on 31st January 2020 this announcement, which delivers on the commitment made by the Conservatives in their election manifesto, is welcome news. It gives farmers some much needed certainty in relation to direct payments, which are crucial for many farm businesses and help ensure the production of the affordable, high-quality food consumers demand.

“Further to this commitment, it is essential Northern Ireland’s share of UK funding is maintained, and that we have the ability to regionalise agricultural policy. Farming in Northern Ireland is very different to farming in the south of England and regionalisation will ensure that the delivery of this funding best suits the differing needs and structure of our industry here.

“As the Brexit process progresses, it is vital that NI’s competitiveness in the all-island economy is maintained. The level of support payments given to agriculture in the Republic of Ireland must be tracked and matched.

“The Government must also deliver on its guarantees that Northern Ireland will still have unfettered access to the GB market post-Brexit. Quick progress must also be made on one of the Conservative party’s other key manifesto commitments - encouraging the public sector to buy local to support our farmers and reduce environmental costs.” The UFU is seeking urgent clarity around the specifics of this announcement and will continue to press MPs and government officials for a longer-term funding commitment to farming.

Meanwhile, the National Farmers’ Union of England and Wales’ Director of EU Exit, Nick von Westenholz, said: “We’re pleased to see this confirmation of the Conservative manifesto commitment to maintain current levels of support, which will provide a degree of certainty and stability for farmers as we enter the critical stage of negotiating our future trading relationships with the EU and other countries in the coming year.

“To ensure a positive outlook for UK farming after we leave the EU the government will need to couple this financial guarantee of support for our industry with a clear-cut commitment that domestic producers will not be unfairly undermined by imports from overseas produced to standards that would be illegal here.

“We are still waiting for the introduction of a council on trade and standards that can advise ministers on our future trade policy and scrutinise the forthcoming negotiations to ensure our high farming standards are not undermined by substandard imports.