More exports, disease protection and a better deal from the EU would enable Britain to fulfill its potential as a world leader in food and farming, secretary of state Liz Truss said today.
Truss, who was the first speaker at today’s Oxford Farming Conference (OFC), outlined her vision for the rural economy in Britain and insisted the country has “the land, technology and entrepreneurial flair to lead the world in food and farming”.
She said she would like to see more regional products gain protected name status and said she plans to cut the “burden of red tape” for farmers. Truss also articulated her support for GM products: “I do think GM has a role to play. We have seen in the US how it can be used to farm in a more environmentally-friendly way.
“Farming is no sunset industry cut off from the mainstream. It is a high-tech powerhouse, a sunrise industry. It is at the heart of our long-term economic plan,” she said.
Truss’ ambitious vision comes as a new report, released at the conference, showed that British farmers are no longer competitive world leaders in agriculture.
The report, entitled ‘The Best British Farmers’ and compiled by the Andersons Centre, found that what distinguishes successful farmers from their weaker counterparts is a receptiveness to risk and an ability to save cost while raising output.
OFC chairman Richard Whitlock said: “If the sector is to improve its global competitiveness, there are some fundamental ‘must haves’ that we must collectively address, such as lowering the barriers to land occupation and increasing the number of joint ventures.”
Whitlock, who chaired the first session on politics, also grilled Truss on the Conservative Party’s position on Europe, and asked what would be the effect on agriculture if the UK left the European Union.
“Ultimately we want to see more decisions made in Britain. At the moment 80 per cent of environment rules are made in Europe, and that’s an issue,” said Truss.
“We want the benefits of the single market without the cumbersome costs that come with it at the moment. We are negotiating very hard for the best deal, but if we don’t get what we want we are prepared to consider all options.”
Whitlock continued: “I think British farmers would like to know what would happen if Britain left the EU.”
Truss replied: “This is a very hypothetical situation. But we need to make sure farmers have a level playing field. We would look to protect farmers whatever the situation.”
Shadow minister for Defra, Hugh Irranca Davies, said: “I am utterly convinced of the benefits, not just to food security and economics, but to the environment, of staying in the European Union. We can actually get a hell of a lot out of it, if we are prepared to give it some welly.”
MSP Richard Lochhead said the Conservative Party has been phasing out direct payments to farmers over the past few years, and if the UK left Europe then British farmers would no longer receive CAP payments and would be “at the mercy of the Westminster treasury”.
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