New Defra Secretary of State Hilary Benn, in his first public outing at this week’s Royal Show, admitted that with all the rain he had almost no time to think about the major issues affecting the industry.
“Even though I have been a vegetarian for 35 years, my family are not, but they are here at the Royal Show to tell me what I am missing,” he said.
As a former International Development Secretary, Benn is already familiar with the problems affecting the developing world. “I have a lot to learn but I would very much like you to teach me,” he told an open industry session, making it clear he would operate on behalf of the whole industry.
He also stressed he was pleased to have Jeff Rooker alongside him at Defra.
Rooker himself joked that he was just pleased to have survived the reshuffle.
In other news Defra announced that as of June 30 98 percent of the 2006 rural payments claims had been settled.
“It has not been perfect, and I am conscious of that. I will look again at it and talk to my officials this weekend,” Benn promised.
Much of the conversion at the show - apart from rain damage - surrounded the future of energy supplies, a role increasingly being played by growers producing alternative crops. There was also much interest in new wind power technology.
A sharp 16.5 percent rise in farm thefts of equipment across the UK was reported, with a 5.5 percent increase in tractor thefts. The situation was particularly bad in Scotland, where thefts were up 54 percent, and Wales, 136 percent.
“We are now seeing more optimistic theft taking place with would-be criminals cruising the countryside looking for the chance to take high value portable items, which they can sell for a few pounds,” said a representative of NFU Mutual’s Risk Management Services.
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