Defra minister Jim Paice has called for the British fresh produce industry to “set farming on fire” by increasing productivity to meet the needs of a growing world population.
In a speech at the Oxford Farming Conference this week, Paice said the rising demand for food does not mean Britain can simply sit back. To remain competitive, he claimed, the UK must increase its production in a way that is environmentally sustainable and look at the potential for exports.
“When thinking of new opportunities most people would now think of Brazil, Russia, China, India - known as the BRIC countries,” he said.
“Few people would think of Belgium, yet we actually export more to Belgium than all the BRIC countries put together. That demonstrates to me how we’ve seen other countries making much greater inroads and we do need to catch up.”
Innovation, Paice argued, is the key if Britain is to secure its own food supply and retain its reputation for agriculture in the future.
“This is an immense challenge… but every challenge is an opportunity. So, we can go on treating farming as some quaint old industry that’s done Britain well in the past, that has no real place in the new global food market, or we can set this industry on fire and let it take the opportunities and face the realities those opportunities provide. We’re there to help it happen but in the end it’s down to all of you.”
To facilitate this, Paice said a greater proportion of CAP funds needs to be invested in measures to aid innovation, investments and proposals for research funding. He also said Britain needs to ensure the greening of the CAP is genuine with “added value to the taxpayer and the environment”.
He said Britain needs to wean itself off the direct support the Single Payment Scheme offers but stressed it would be a long-term phasing out, “not now, not even in the next seven-year period, but a journey with a clear destination”.
One innovation raised was the use of GM. Paice called on the EU to relax its regulation to allow Britain to take advantage of the potential the technology offers “where appropriate”. Paice also announced that the government would fulfill its manifesto pledge to create Rural Farming Networks.
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