The suggestion that the new Liz Truss Government will roll back on environment land management schemes (ELMS) for farmland, has caused concern.

Reacting on social media to fears raised by conservation organisations over the future of ELMS, a Defra spokesman said: “To boost the rural economy, food production and our food security, we will continue to support farmers and land managers by reviewing farm regulation, boosting investment and innovation in the sector.

“This autumn we will set out our plans for working with industry to maximise the long-term productivity, resilience, competitiveness, and environmental stewardship of the British countryside.”

A Treasury spokesman added: “The Government remains committed to setting a new legally binding target to halt the decline of biodiversity in England by 2030.”

ELMS was the biggest shake-up of farm policy in England for 40 years, introduced after Brexit to replace the EU's CAP payouts.

Responding to investment announcements made by Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, NFU president Minette Batters said: “British food and farming is worth more than £100bn to the national economy and provides jobs for four million people. Investing in this sector to increase productivity and growth is in everyone’s interests.

“That is why the announcement that the annual investment allowance will remain permanently at £1m will be welcome news to many farmers, enabling them to plan and make investment decisions at the earliest opportunity. We now need to see this extended to cover buildings and structures to encourage greater investment in farm infrastructure, and more detail is needed on other measures outlined in the budget, such as the impact of the new investment zones and planning relaxations on rural areas.

“We also welcome government plans to review frameworks for farming regulation, innovation, and investment. In order for these frameworks to succeed, they must be developed with farmers and we look forward to working with ministers to help ensure farm businesses are not only supported through the current economic challenges, but are able to make progressive decisions to boost growth and farming’s contribution to the nation.”

Craig Bennett, chief executive of The Wildlife Trusts, called Friday's mini-budget a “catastrophe” for the environment.

“Environmental organisations were concerned that vital nature protections would be lost through Brexit but we were told all would be fine,” he said.

“Instead we have a catastrophe. Farming reform was supposed to be the silver lining but now the Government looks set to renege on that too.”